Department for Transport

Lichfield Trent Valley Station

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects work to commence on providing disabled access to all platforms at Lichfield Trent Valley railway station in response to his Department's review of the Access for all programme; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: We are working with Network Rail to identify how Access for All projects will be delivered and we will be responding to the Hendy Report later this year. The majority of projects should still be delivered by 2019 or have a design completed so that they can start work on site as soon as available funding allows. Option selection and design work for the project at Lichfield Trent Valley is ongoing.

London Airports

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Answer Prime Minister of 8 June 2016, Official Report, column 1189, on airport expansion, whether the term summer includes the September sitting of the House.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The government remains fully committed to delivering the important infrastructure projects it has set out.

Highways England: Training

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of the training syllabus, training manuals and associated materials on training for Highways England traffic officers for moving vehicles from live lanes to emergency refuge areas.

Andrew Jones: The training of carriageway clearance for new Traffic Officers is within a 5 week training programme and supported by an additional 6 week coaching period. For existing experienced Traffic Officers a 1 day practical course in Enhanced Carriageway Clearance is mandated. The courses are delivered by experienced Traffic Officers and are regularly reviewed. A significant proportion of the learning experience is practical and scenario based. Because of the nature of the training, it would not be appropriate to place any written material, out of context, in the Library. However, Highways England have offered Honourable Members of the Transport Select Committee a visit to one of their Regional Control Centres to observe their Traffic Officers in action.

Blue Badge Scheme

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discretion is available to local authorities to grant blue badges to disabled people who are in receipt of the enhanced mobility rate of personal independence payment other than through the moving around criteria; and what steps he has taken to monitor local authorities in their exercise of that discretion.

Andrew Jones: It is set out in the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended), that to qualify for a badge via a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) award the applicant must score at least 8 points in the “moving around” activity of the mobility component. There is no discretion for local authorities to issue badges for other PIP awards. However, where a person fails to qualify for a badge through PIP, they may still apply to their local authority for a badge under the other eligibility criteria; these include any permanent and substantial disabilities (including non-physical disabilities) which cause very considerable difficulty in walking.

Blue Badge Scheme

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission an impact assessment of the potential effects of the provisions of his Department's Blue Badge Scheme Local Authority Guidance (England), published in October 2014, on people with autism, mental ill health and learning disabilities.

Andrew Jones: The Department’s Blue Badge Scheme Local Authority Guidance (England) is non-statutory and non-binding. We therefore have no plans to commission an impact assessment. It is the statutory regulations – the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 – which local authorities are obliged to follow.

Blue Badge Scheme

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities that charge to issue blue badges to disabled people.

Andrew Jones: The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended) permit a local authority to charge up to £10 for the issue of a disabled person's badge. This contributes towards the administration and assessment of the application and the provision of the badge. In return the badge holder receives a package of parking concessions, including free parking in many cases, for up to 3 years. No estimate of the number of local authorities who choose to apply the charge has been made.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37807 and with reference to the Answer of 29 October 2015 to Question 12850, on Thameslink railway line: rolling stock, for what reasons the introduction of Class 700 trains has been delayed.

Claire Perry: Operational testing of the new Class 700 Thameslink trains by Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd is in the process of being finalised prior to their entry into revenue earning service, which I expect will take place shortly.

Bus Services

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill on the ability of local authorities in England to acquire a shareholding in existing bus companies.

Andrew Jones: Clause 21 of the Bill restricts the ability of certain authorities in England from forming companies for the purposes of providing local bus services. It does not, however, restrict such authorities from acquiring shares in existing bus companies.

Bus Services

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39527, on bus services, what consultation he undertook on the role of municipal bus companies on the proposals in Clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill; and what research he has commissioned on the potential effects of that clause on (a) passengers and (b) the bus services market.

Andrew Jones: This policy will not impact on existing municipal operators. Currently there are only 8 existing municipal bus companies operating services in England, and we are not aware of any current plans to establish new municipal bus companies.

East Coast Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39519, what the whole life cost of the East Coast Main Line Intercity Express fleet is; and how much of that cost will be met by funding from his Department.

Claire Perry: Whole life costs of the East Coast Main Line fleet are part of the £2.7bn investment for the Intercity Express Programme East Coast which includes the design, finance and maintenance of the rolling stock and maintenance facilities over the 27.5 year term. It is not possible to break this cost down further. The Departments costs in support of this investment are supported through funding of infrastructure enhancements and agreement in the East Coast Franchise Agreements to ensure the benefits of the IEP trains are delivered.

Transport: North of England

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39519, how much was provided to which projects under funding for (a) Highways England capital expenditure, (b) major transport schemes in local authorities and (c) other rail enhancements.

Andrew Jones: Details of the projects that will receive funding from the £4.8bn Highways England capital expenditure is available through the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-investment-strategy-plans-summary-of-assumptions A breakdown of the funding for major transport schemes in local authorities is provided below: Major Transport Schemes in Local Authorities£mA164 Humber Bridge to Beverley Improvements10A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road230Access York Phase 1 (Park & Ride)23Bedale/Aiskew/Leeming Bar Bypass (North Yorkshire)34Beverley Southern Relief Road22Crewe Green Link Road26Heysham to M6 Link Road (Lancashire)124Leeds Inner Relief Road Maintenance25Leeds Public Transport (formerly allocated to Leeds New Generation Transport)250Leeds Rail Growth (Kirkstall Forge and Apperley Bridge stations)16Leeds Station Southern Entrance20Manchester Cross City Bus43Manchester Metrolink Extensions - Second City Crossing165Mersey Gateway Bridge211Morpeth Northern Bypass30Pennine Reach (Blackburn)40Rochdale Interchange12South Yorkshire Bus Rapid Transit North36Sunderland Strategic Corridor (New Wear Crossing)118Thornton to Switch Island (Sefton)18Todwick Crossroads Improvement (Rotherham)14White Rose Way Improvement Scheme (Doncaster)17TOTAL 1,484  The funding shown is the lifetime public sector capital cost of each scheme funded or planned to be funded during the period 2015/16 to 2020/21 Other rail enhancements include over £1bn we are investing to upgrade rail infrastructure in the North of England. This includes a substantial electrification programme and other track, station and signalling improvements - to increase capacity and the number of services and making journeys faster and more reliable.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much revenue Govia Thameslink Railway has paid to the Government since taking up its franchise in 2014.

Claire Perry: Passenger Income by Train Operating Company is published annually in August by the Office of Road and Rail. It is available online at: http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/21039/gb-rail-industry-financial-information-2014-15.pdf (Table 5.1).

Govia Thameslink Railway: Overtime

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the provision of overtime payments to train staff employed by Govia Thameslink Railway.

Claire Perry: We do not receive information regarding staff costs to this level of granularity.

Driving: Horses

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that drivers are aware of the need to take care when driving past or near horses and their riders.

Andrew Jones: The Department takes every opportunity to remind motorists of their responsibilities towards vulnerable road users - including horse riders - through publications such as the Highway Code and THINK! Road Safety campaigns. THINK! officials are currently working with the British Horse Society following their recently launched ‘Dead Slow’ campaign. Plans for the summer include publicity on TV, radio, online and social media advising motorists on how to pass horses safely.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Profits

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much profit Govia Thameslink Railway  was expected to make over the lifetime of its franchise according to the original business case; and how much profit that company has made since the start of that franchise.

Claire Perry: The profit Govia Thameslink Railway expected to make over the lifetime of its franchise is a commercially sensitive figure. With regard to their actual profits, Govia will publish their audited annual accounts as required through Companies House.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, (a) on what dates and (b) by what margins Govia Thameslink Railway has been in breach of the terms of its franchise agreement since the start of that franchise in 2014.

Claire Perry: Since Rail Industry period 7 in financial year 2015/16 (ending mid October 2015), Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) have exceeded the breach level for the Cancellations benchmark. The Secretary of State issued GTR with a Remedial Plan Notice last year requiring them to set out in a Remedial Plan the measures they will take in order to improve their performance and included remedial plan benchmarks against which GTR are measured for the duration of the Remedial Plan. GTR have not breached the remedial plan cancellations benchmark and are under the breach benchmark for delays and peak short formations.

Department for Transport: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many of his Department's civil servants were based in Coventry in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport was formed in 2002 and currently consists of a central department and four executive agencies as follows: The Driver & Vehicle Licensing AgencyThe Driver & Vehicle Standards AgencyThe Vehicle Certification AgencyThe Maritime & Coastguard Agency Apart from the Driving Vehicle and Standards agency (DVSA), no civil servants were based in Coventry in each of the last 5 years. The number of DVSA staff based in Coventry is in the table below. Information is provided as at 31 March. YearHeadcount2016920157201472013720129

West Coast Railway Line: Franchises

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many responses his Department has received to the open consultation on the InterCity West Coast rail franchise to date; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The InterCity West Coast franchise is a vitally important franchise for the country. It carries over 34 million passengers every year. We are running a public consultation to enable passengers to have their say on their rail services and want to make sure that passengers’ views are taken into consideration in developing the specification for the future franchise. The consultation for the next ICWC rail franchise was launched on 10 May 2016, and has been widely publicised through a range of channels including press notices in regional and trade press, posters, leaflets, events, websites, social media and key stakeholder communication channels. I also wrote to all MPs, MSPs and AMs with constituencies on the ICWC route and the Scottish and Welsh Government Transport Secretaries to ensure they were informed of the consultation which serves their parts of the UK. The consultation is ongoing and due to end 2 August. When the consultation closes, we will review and analyse the information and publish a summary of responses which will include the numbers of consultation responses.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Fines

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of trains (a) cancelled and (b) delayed have not seen Govia Thameslink Railway financially penalised in the last three years.

Claire Perry: Under their Franchise Agreements, an operator is entitled to claim relief from their cancellations benchmark where they can demonstrate that their action was taken in order to recover the service following disruption. Additionally, an operator may also claim relief from cancellations and delay benchmarks for incidents subject to Force Majeure. Since the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) franchise started in September 2014, no more than 18% of cancellations that GTR were responsible for and which count towards their benchmarks were accepted as Service Recovery or Force Majeure. In that time, 0.6% of delays were accepted as Force Majeure. These delays and cancellations will not count towards the Schedule 7.1 performance regime contained in the Franchise Agreement. In addition, the Track Access Agreement between Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway includes performance regimes in relation to cancellations and delays which result in an incentive or penalty payment depending on who caused the delay or cancellation of the services, and how each organisation is performing against their own benchmark. All trains which are timetabled to operate in passenger service are subject to this performance regime.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the pothole fund may be used to reward the use and development of innovative resurfacing practices by local authorities.

Andrew Jones: This financial year the Department for Transport has allocated the first £50 million of funding from the £250 million Pothole Action Fund to local highway authorities in England, outside London. Further details, including the funding being provided to each local highway authority, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cash-for-councils-to-fill-almost-1-million-potholes It is up to each highway authority to decide how best to use this funding to help repair potholes and other road defects on the roads for which they are responsible. This includes using innovative practices, such as in machinery and materials. We do however encourage innovation and efficient highways maintenance practices to ensure that we get the best value for money from the highways maintenance funding being provided.

Bus Services: Disability

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote the use of talking buses in (a) the UK, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Solihull.

Andrew Jones: I know that accessible on-board information helps many people, including those who are visually impaired, to travel in confidence. Many bus operators already provide next stop announcements on their services, and we have encouraged the industry to explore options for widening its adoption, both through engagement with national representative bodies and with operators at a local level.

Cycling: Dorset

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase cycling provision in Dorset.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Dorset received funding in the LSTF 2015 -16 round, which aimed to facilitate sustainable travel, including cycling, at three of Dorset’s major employment centres. More recently, the South West received funding under the Cycle Rail funding programme to improve cycle facilities at 5 Wessex line railway stations. The Department is also preparing to launch the Access Fund for revenue only funding, which will be open to all local authorities in England (excluding London) regardless of previous bidding success. This will include an objective to actively promote increased levels of physical activity through walking and cycling. The Access Fund is being aligned with the third Local Growth Deal which presents opportunities for all authorities to seek capital funding for their sustainable transport schemes. All local authorities have been notified to engage with their Local Enterprise Partnerships and the Department on both these opportunities.

Railways: South West

Mrs Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to issue the invitation to tender for the South Western rail franchise; and whether the delay to date in issuing it will affect the scheduled dates for the award and start of the franchise agreement.

Claire Perry: The invitation to tender (ITT) for the South Western franchise was issued to bidders on 9 June. I expect to make the contract award in February 2017, and for the new franchise to commence in June 2017, as scheduled. I expect to publish the ITT at the start of July.

M1

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2016 to Question 39602, what assessment he has made of the extent to which carrying out roadworks consecutively would reduce annual average individual journey times.

Andrew Jones: As part of the economic assessment of all projects, Highways England undertake an assessment of journey delays that will occur during the construction period. This considers the extent to which roadworks arrangements and adjacent schemes would minimise average journey times, whilst providing the safest environment for both road workers and the travelling public.Highways England are delivering a large five year programme of improvements which adds much needed capacity to some of the most congested parts of the strategic road network to support economic growth. Where possible, this is combined with planned maintenance which is cost effective and reduces the need for further work to be carried out once construction has been completed. This reduces disruption in the longer term.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons representatives of HS2 Ltd told residents of Rixton at a recent meeting in Culcheth that a viaduct would definitely be built in their parish.

Mr Robert Goodwill: HS2 Ltd recently held engagement events along the proposed route north of Crewe including in Culcheth, Warrington. At the event, local residents asked a range of questions relating to the proposed railway alignment based on publicly available consultation plans. All proposals in this region are yet to be confirmed pending a route decision planned for autumn 2016.

Great Western Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 39128, how the conversion of the Great Western Main Line Class 801 units to bi-mode diesel operation will be funded; and how his Department will recover such conversion costs.

Claire Perry: The Department has a number of funding options for the bi-mode conversion of the Class 801 units planned for operation on the Great Western Main Line. I plan to make a decision on funding in the Autumn.

Railways: Greater London

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2016 to Question 40199, whether the modelling was (a) carried out in-house by Network Rail or (b) outsourced by Network Rail to another party; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: Pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2016 to Question 40199, Network Rail carried out the timetable modelling associated with the London Bridge works in-house.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Fines

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, under what circumstances financial penalties could be levied against Govia Thameslink Railway for (a) punctuality problems and (b) cancellations.

Claire Perry: The Govia Thameslink Railway Franchise Agreement in Schedule 7.1 sets out the performance benchmarks and financial regime that is in place in relation to cancellations and TOC delay minute regimes. A copy of the Franchise Agreement can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/govia-thameslink

Govia Thameslink Railway: Fines

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse has been of Network Rail paying fines to Govia Thameslink Railway under the Track Access Agreement in the last three years.

Claire Perry: The available data for the last three years for Network Rail payments to Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) under the Track Access Agreement (TAA) is available at http://www.networkrail.co.uk/transparency/datasets/. This details Schedule 4 payments which relate to agreed disruption caused by planned work; and Schedule 8 payments which relate to non-planned disruption.The net Schedule 8 payment agreed with individual operators is arrived at through a process of attribution of delays where many factors are taken into consideration and compensation amounts are incurred both ways. GTR’s provision of services for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise only began on 14 September 2014, with Southern services included from 26 July 2015, and so will not be included in the 2014/15 figure available at http://www.networkrail.co.uk/transparency/datasets/.

London-Brighton Railway Line

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 May 2016 to Question 37855, on the London to Brighton railway line, if he will commit in principle to upgrade the Brighton main line, prior to the High Level Operating Statement in 2017.

Claire Perry: Network Rail is currently developing proposals for the upgrade of the Brighton Main Line, following the conclusions of the Sussex Route Study. Government intends to articulate its emerging priorities for improvements to the national network (including possible upgrades to the Brighton Main Line) during 2017.

Railways: Croydon

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to (a) assess and (b) address the effect on rail services of the infrastructure bottleneck at Croydon.

Claire Perry: Network Rail’s Sussex Route Study has assessed capacity constraints on the Brighton Main Line. It is increasingly apparent the junctions around Croydon create a complex operating environment for train operators, which translates into constrained capacity and potential delays for passengers. As we develop our emerging priorities for improvements to the national network in 2017, we will give due consideration to improving these junctions.

London-Brighton Railway Line

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has allocated for Network Rail to produce a feasibility study on the Brighton Mainline Upgrade; and whether he plans for that funding to continue up to 2020.

Claire Perry: Network Rail has authorised £8m from its current financial settlement to develop proposals for the upgrade of the Brighton Main Line. The Government will subsequently consider what, if any, additional funding is required, based on its emerging priorities for improvements to the national network. This feasibility study is additional to the improvements that will already be delivered in the years up to 2020 by the massive Thameslink programme which will provide substantial additional capacity and improved frequencies together with 1,140 new carriages serving destinations including Brighton.

London-Brighton Railway Line

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of what land is required in (a) the Croydon area and (b) other areas to allow for the Brighton Mainline Upgrade; and whether he plans to safeguard that land for transport purposes.

Claire Perry: As part of its work developing proposals for the upgrade of the Brighton Main Line, Network Rail has and will continue to assess land requirements. The Government will include any considerations in respect of land, including planning requirements, in any future investment decisions in the corridor.

Public Places: Seating

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will promote the provision of seating facilities in public places to encourage walking.

Mr Robert Goodwill: It is for local authorities to determine what works best for their own areas, but we welcome public realm improvements that help encourage more people to make walking the natural choice for shorter journeys. Through the Manual for Streets, the Department for Transport (DfT) provides guidance to assist those in the planning, construction and improvement of our streets to deliver functional, attractive public spaces. This includes using street furniture, such as seating, to help create a sense of place, making the street a destination in its own right. The principles that the Manual for Streets sets out are expanded for urban areas in Manual for Streets 2, published by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and endorsed by DfT.

Walking

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote park and stride schemes.

Mr Robert Goodwill: A partnership of sixteen local authorities across England, led by Birmingham City Council, has linked up with national charity Living Streets and the Modeshift organisation to focus on increasing walking rates with schools, workplaces and in target locations, in order to tackle congestion and improve access to education and employment. The project is being delivered through a grant of £2.48m from Department for Transport as part of the Sustainable Travel Transition Year funding programme. It will build on the success of the previous Department for Transport funded LSTF Walk To (2015/16) and Walk To School Outreach (2012/15) projects.

London-Brighton Railway Line

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has investigated, in his Department's work assessing the reasons for delays and cancellations on the Brighton Mainline, whether or not GTR are preventing staff who took part in recent strike action from working overtime; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: GTR are providing the Department with information on the current disruption in line with their franchise agreement. Management of staff is a matter between GTR and its employees, however I have been assured by GTR that it is not the case that they are preventing staff who participated in industrial action from working overtime.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Standards

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has issued (a) an enforcement order, (b) a provisional enforcement order or a remedial plan notice against Govia Thameslink Railway.

Claire Perry: No enforcement order has been issued against Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). A remedial plan notice was issued in July 2015 and the Remedial Plan was agreed between the Department for Transport and GTR in February this year.

Motorways and Railways: Biodiversity

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage ecological diversity along the alignments of motorways and railways.

Claire Perry: Highways England published a Biodiversity Plan in June 2015 that sets out how the organisation will protect and enhance biodiversity on its estate which includes the 18,000 hectares associated with the motorway network. The Road Investment Strategy states that by 2020, Highways England must deliver no net loss of biodiversity.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/biodiversity-plan Network Rail is obliged to develop plans to protect and enhance the natural environment under the Rail Investment Strategy, which outlines the Department’s railway activity priorities from April 2014 to March 2019.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Freedom of Information

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Govia Thameslink Remedial Plan, published on 26 May 2016, which sections of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 related to each redaction in the published version of that document.

Claire Perry: The information has been redacted under Section 43 Commercial Interests of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, chapter 36, section 43. This can be found at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/43.

Railways: Overtime

Mr Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent reports he has received on the practice of restricting staff that have recently been on strike from working overtime on (a) Govia Thameslink Railway and (b) other rail franchises.

Claire Perry: Management of staff is a matter for the rail operators. I have been assured by the operator of the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise that they are not restricting the staff who have recently been on strike action from working overtime.

Network Rail: Reviews

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39848, what the estimated cost to the public purse was of preparing and publishing the Hendry report on Replanning Network Rail's Investment Programme, published on 25 November 2015.

Claire Perry: Network Rail employed two consultancy firms to work on the Hendy Review. Costs associated with this work totalled approximately £470,000.We are unable to provide further detail as to the proportion of these costs associated purely with report preparation. The estimated cost to the public purse for publishing the Hendy Report, was £22,735 associated with typesetting and printing. The above figures do not include costs associated with the embedded workforce because we are unable to disaggregate these costs from staff performing their day to day duties.

Level Crossings: Finance

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39849, what his Department's expenditure other than Network Rail expenditure was on the level crossing reform programme in the last Parliament; and how much such expenditure is budgeted in this Parliament.

Claire Perry: Capital expenditure on level crossings is a matter for Network Rail. The department does not hold a separate budget for this.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will introduce a time scale that insurance companies must comply with for responding to correspondence relating to car accidents.

Andrew Jones: It is important that insurance companies are able to fully investigate any claim that they receive. Cases will vary in their complexity and so timescales need to be flexible to ensure that all issues are considered fairly for the benefit of all parties involved. The motor insurance industry is very competitive so it is in their own interest to resolve these cases in a timely manner. Customers can contact their insurance companies and the Financial Ombudsman if they are unhappy about the service they have received.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Floods: Lake District

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects his Department to submit a final estimate of the damage caused by flooding in the South Lakes area to the European Commission as part of the UK's application to the EU Solidarity Fund.

James Wharton: The Government submitted an initial UK application to the European Union Solidary Fund on Friday 26 February. The application included an estimate of eligible costs of direct damage incurred by the storms in December and early January. Since making this initial application we have continued to refine our cost estimates. I will update Parliament once the European Commission’s final assessment has been made.

Communities and Local Government: Staff

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2016 to Question 39850, what proportion of the senior civil servants in the Cities and Local Growth Unit of his Department are working on devolution issues are based in London.

Mr Mark Francois: The Cities and Local Growth Unit is a joint BIS-DCLG team that supports places in developing and agreeing devolution deals with the Government. Six Senior Civil Servants out of ten in the Unit are based in London.

Communities and Local Government: Staff

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39850, what the (a) location and (b) number at each location is of the 60 officials based in six local teams across the country.

Mr Mark Francois: The current numbers and location of Cities and Local Growth Unit officials based in the six local teams are set out in the attached table. 



Table
(Word Document, 30 KB)

Planning Permission

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 7 on page 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published in March 2012 whether his Department has made an assessment of the extent to which the UK's carbon budgets and 2050 climate target is taken into account by planning authorities when making planning decisions.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Rented Housing: Bradford

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of families in Bradford who will move home as a result of pay to stay provisions of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 during the current Parliament.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Right to Buy Scheme: Housing Associations

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the replacement rate of housing association properties sold through right-to-buy in each year since the launch of that policy; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Construction

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to bring forward proposals in the Neighbourhood and Planning and Infrastructure Bill to remove the requirement for developers to carry out archaeological and wildlife surveys before starting housing projects.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

China: Non-governmental Organisations

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to China on retracting its law on the management of foreign NGOs, passed on 28 April 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire: I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 9 May in response to written question 36260.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of Turkish members of parliament being verbally abused, physically assaulted and threatened with murder within the parliament of that country; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Companies: Ownership

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress he has made since the Anti-Corruption Summit of 12 May 2016 on implementing the Government's plan to establish central registers of beneficial ownership in the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

James Duddridge: Agreement has been reached with all the relevant Overseas Territories, and with the Isle of Man and Jersey on the establishment of central registers or similarly effective systems. These arrangements will give UK law enforcement and tax authorities quick and unrestricted access to beneficial ownership information on corporate and legal entities incorporated in these Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. This is a significant step forward in our ability to fight criminal activity. The signing of a similar arrangement with Guernsey is expected shortly, following their recent general election and formation of a new government.Requests from UK law enforcement will be processed within 24 hours and quicker in urgent cases. The new arrangements must be in place by June 2017, but relevant Government Departments and law enforcement authorities are working with the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies to ensure some changes are made immediately.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Democratic Republic of Congo counterpart on ensuring that elections in that country are open and transparent.

James Duddridge: I have repeatedly urged the Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Raymond Tshibanda, to ensure that elections in his country are open, transparent and are conducted in line with his country’s Constitution. Most recently I wrote to Mr Tshibanda in April this year to follow-up on my meeting with him in the margins of a UN debate on the Great Lakes region held in March 2016. I also met Mr Tshibanda at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2016. In all my interactions with representatives of the Congolese Government I have stressed the importance of a peaceful, democratic transition of power in the DRC. My Hon Friend, the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Nick Hurd MP), Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for International Development), visited the DRC in March 2016.

Bahrain: Prisoners

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on the prison sentence handed down to Sheikh Ali Salman; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned about the recent extension of the imprisonment of Al Wefaq’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Ali Salman. We continue to raise his case with the Government of Bahrain, including most recently on 30 May when The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised his case at the highest levels during a visit to Manama. We understand there is a further stage in the legal process.

British Nationals Abroad

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of British nationals living (a) outside the UK and in the EU and (b) outside the UK and the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Lidington: The UN publishes data on the number of people of UK origin living elsewhere, broken down by region and country. The dataset can be found at: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/data/estimates2/estimates15.shtml

Bahrain: Prisoners

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Bahrain on the imprisonment of Sheikh Ali Salman in that country.

Mr Philip Hammond: We are concerned about the recent extension of the imprisonment of Al Wefaq’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Ali Salman. We continue to raise his case with the Government of Bahrain, including most recently on 30 May when I raised his case at the highest levels during a visit to Manama. I understand there is a further stage in the legal process.

Bahrain: Travel Restrictions

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Bahrain on recent travel bans imposed on Bahraini citizens.

Mr Philip Hammond: We are seeking to establish the facts around the apparent prevention of a group of human rights activists travelling to Geneva for the for the UN Human Rights Council. I raised this issue with my Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa on 14 June 2016.

Nabeel Rajab

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Bahrain on the re-arrest of Nabeel Rajab in that country.

Mr Philip Hammond: We are concerned about the recent re-arrest of Nabeel Rajab. The UK encourages Bahrain to respect the rights of all its citizens. We call on the Bahraini Government to act proportionately in all such cases to protect the universal rights of freedom of expression. I raised his case with my Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa on 14 June 2016. We will continue to monitor his case as it develops.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Bahrain on the suspension of the main Shia opposition group in that country.

Mr Philip Hammond: We are concerned by the decision to suspend the activities of the Bahraini opposition group, Al Wefaq, and freeze its assets. I raised this issue with my Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa on 14 June 2016. We encourage Bahrain to respect the rights of political groups to operate and to seek an inclusive political dialogue.

Climate Change

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials are employed in (a) his Department's London offices and (b) the UK's global diplomatic network work on climate security.

James Duddridge: As of January 2016 149 full-time equivalent staff resource was spent on our Climate Change/Low Carbon Economy/Energy Security work across our network of 268 offices in 168 countries. Of these, 72 staff were working full-time on Climate Change and Energy issues.As of June 2016 nine full-time equivalent staff in London work directly on climate change issues.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office allocation of resource is kept under regular review as staff and local priorities change, so there is a quite regular flux in numbers and locations. For example, in the run up to COP21, there was an increase in Ministerial and network engagement related to the Paris negotiations, to build support for a successful agreement.

Bahrain: Civil Liberties

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain, and call on the Bahraini Government to act proportionately in all such cases to protect the universal rights of freedom of expression and assembly. I most recently raised the issue of human rights on 2 June when I met with the Bahraini Foreign Minister at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting.

Bahrain: Nationality

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on the relocation of citizenship of Bahraini nationals.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We regularly discuss human rights issues with the Government of Bahrain including the revocation of citizenship. I most recently raised the issue at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting, held in Bahrain on 2 June.

Companies: Ownership

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister of 11 April 2016, Official Report, columns 23-26, on the Panama Papers, whether UK law enforcement agencies will have automatic access to central registers of beneficial ownership, or equivalent platforms, in the Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies once those registers or platforms have been established.

James Duddridge: Under the bilateral arrangements concluded with the Overseas Territories with a financial centre and Crown Dependencies, UK law enforcement and tax authorities will have quick and unrestricted access to beneficial ownership information held in central registers or similarly effective systems on corporate and legal entities incorporated in these Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Eritrea: Human Rights

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a response to EDM 211, 2016 Report by UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, tabled on 14 June 2016.

James Duddridge: Following the publication of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, we remain concerned about human rights issues in the country. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s latest Human Rights Report includes Eritrea in its list of 30 priority countries for the UK government and sets out the changes needed. We continue to press the government of Eritrea, including at ministerial level, to take concrete steps to improve its respect for human rights.We welcome the recent increased engagement between Eritrea and the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Eritrea’s agreement to work with the United Nations Development Programme to implement the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review on human rights. We urge further such cooperation to help bring about human rights reform in Eritrea.We will give a full statement when the UN Human Rights Council discusses the COI’s report on 21 June.

Libya: Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the retaking of Sirte on Daesh; and what steps his Department is taking to help restore stability to that city.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Daesh is losing in Libya, as they are in Iraq and Syria. I welcome the courage of the Libyan forces who have faced them and are fighting Daesh in Benghazi, in Sirte, and elsewhere. This is a clear signal to Daesh from the Libyan people: Daesh is not wanted in Libya, they are not welcome, and they will be defeated.The conflict in Sirte is not over and fighting there is continuing. After months of conflict the humanitarian situation in Sirte is expected to be serious, as it is across Libya. In addition to the humanitarian aid the UK is already providing to Libya, the UK has contributed $1m and a UK stabilisation adviser to the UNDP Stabilisation Facility, an initiative of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), supported by UNDP and the international community. The Facility will support the Libyan GNA to restore critical infrastructure destroyed by conflict and improve basic service delivery. This is a facility for all Libya and will benefit municipalities in the East, West and South of the country.

China: Detainees

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which cases of people detained in China were raised during the state visit of President Xi Jinping in October 2015; and what assurances and undertakings were given in respect of those cases.

Mr Hugo Swire: During the State Visit, we made clear the importance that the UK attaches to frank exchanges with China on human rights. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt. Hon Friend, the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised our concerns at the ongoing detention of Chinese human rights lawyers with the Chinese Foreign Minister and the President of China’s Supreme People’s Court (in January and June 2016). We will continue to make representations on a wide range of cases during the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue.

China: Overseas Trade

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has taken steps to ensure that any UK Trade and Investment deals with China announced during President Xi's visit to the UK of 2015 are consistent with the UK's obligations and stated commitments under the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.

Mr Hugo Swire: The Government provides guidance to UK companies to help them comply with their obligations on human rights throughout their global operations, including with respect to China. We maintain the joint FCO-UKTI Overseas Business Risk (OBR) service, which ensures up to date information on relevant human rights issues in China. In line with the revised National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (published May 2016) we encourage all companies doing business overseas to follow the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We have published guidance on transparency in supply chains and reporting requirements under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Government is also working to advance the rule of law in China to promote a fair, transparent and predictable business environment for British business in China.

China: Human Rights

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what human rights objectives the Government set for the state visit of President Xi Jinping to the UK in October 2015; and what progress has been made on achieving those objectives.

Mr Hugo Swire: One of our objectives for the State Visit was to ensure that the UK and China could continue detailed expert exchanges on human rights and rule of law. Agreement on this issue was reflected in the leaders’ press conference and joint statement. Our broader objectives on human rights in China are set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual report on human rights and democracy, most recently published on 21 April. That report notes that in 2015 China continued to face human rights challenges, and that we have raised our concerns both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.

Mauritania: Slavery

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion 116, Slavery in Mauritania.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We welcome the release of anti-slavery activists Biram Dah Abeid and Brahim Bilal Ramdhane following the decision of the Mauritanian Supreme Court. We also welcome the decision by the newly formed anti-slavery court to convict two men on charges of slavery.We continue to encourage the Mauritanian government to support the anti-slavery courts in prosecuting cases in full under the 2015 anti-slavery law and to take steps to facilitate the collection of data on slavery to support eradication efforts.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the report The lawfulness of the authorisation by the United Kingdom of weapons and related items for export to Saudi Arabia in the context of Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen by Professor Philippe Sands QC and others, published on 11 December 2015.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application.A licence will not be issued, for any country, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria, including where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used in the commission of a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law. The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.

Eritrea: Human Rights

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Eritrea.

James Duddridge: Following the publication of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, we remain concerned about human rights issues in the country. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's latest Human Rights Report includes Eritrea in its list of 30 priority countries for the UK government and sets out the changes needed. We continue to press the government of Eritrea, including at ministerial level, to take concrete steps to improve its respect for human rights.We welcome the recent increased engagement between Eritrea and the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Eritrea’s agreement to work with the United Nations Development Programme to implement the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review on human rights. We urge further such cooperation to help bring about human rights reform in Eritrea.We will give a full statement when the UN Human Rights Council discusses the COI’s report on 21 June.

Palestinians: Recognition of States

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the criteria are for the Government to recognise a Palestinian state.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK’s position on recognition of Palestine is that we will recognise a Palestinian state when we judge it can best help bring about peace. We continue to be one of the principal supporters of Palestinian state building efforts, assisting them to tackle poverty, build institutions and boost their economy.

Northern Ireland Office

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reasons the Government did not extend the European Union Referendum (Voter Registration) Regulations 2016 to Northern Ireland to enable late registration by any method; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace: The registration deadline extension for the EU Referendum was implemented following system disruption to the online registration portal in Great Britain. The extension did not apply to Northern Ireland because online registration will not be available in Northern Ireland until later this year and voters there were not disadvantaged by the system disruption in GB.

Prisoners' Transfers: Northern Ireland

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many non-UK nationals have been transferred from a prison in England and Wales to a prison in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: Responsibility for these matters lies with the Department of Justice Northern Ireland and the Home Office.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on arrangements for the return of non-UK nationals to prisons in their country of origin.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: I have not had any discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on arrangements for the return of non-UK nationals to prisons in their country of origin. These are matters for the Department of Justice Northern Ireland.

Parades Commission

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent representations she has received on the membership of the Parades Commission.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: I have received no recent representations relating specifically to the membership of the Parades Commission.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the potential terror threat to the UK posed by people entering Northern Ireland via the land border with the Republic of Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: Tackling terrorism, wherever it originates, is the highest priority for this Government. Co-operation with the Irish authorities is strong. They have repeatedly shown they are fully committed to tackling terrorism and are having considerable success in doing so.

Homicide: Loughinisland

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she plans to take in response to the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland's statutory report into the murders at the Heights Bar, Loughinisland on 18 June 1994, published on 9 June 2016; and if she will make a statement.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: What happened at Loughinisland in June 1994 was an act of unspeakable evil, for which there could be no possible justification. The whole House will want to pass on its heartfelt condolences and sympathies to those affected by this appalling atrocity. The Government accepts the Police Ombudsman’s Report and the Chief Constable’s response. We take any allegations of police misconduct very seriously and where there is evidence of wrongdoing it must be pursued – everyone is subject to the rule of law. The Report is also very clear, however, that those responsible for this despicable attack were the UVF terrorist gang who planned it and carried it out. Nor did the police have prior knowledge of the attack which could have enabled them to prevent it. The Chief Constable made clear in his report; “The PSNI remains firmly committed to apprehending those responsible for these murders and appeal to the community for information to allow us to do so.” On behalf of the Government I echo that commitment and that appeal.

Attorney General

Mossack Fonesca

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Attorney General, what information he holds on whether the Serious Fraud Office plans to investigate the UK office of the law firm Mossack Fonesca.

Jeremy Wright: On 10 April, the Prime Minister set up a multi-agency taskforce to obtain and analyse the leaked “Panama Papers” and take action where possible. The taskforce comprises HMRC, the National Crime Agency, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Financial Conduct Authority who are working collaboratively to investigate any evidence of wrong-doing identified within the “Panama Papers”. The taskforce will report on its progress later this year.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Apprentices: Tees Valley

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the report by Lord Heseltine, entitled Tees Valley: opportunity unlimited, published in June 2016, recommendation 6.6.7, whether he plans to devolve responsibility for the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers to the Tees Valley Combined Authority.

Nick Boles: The Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE) is available until the end of the 2016/17 academic year to incentivise smaller employers to offer apprenticeships. The AGE grant will be devolved to The Tees Valley Combined Authority from this August. They will be free to vary the criteria associated with the grant (e.g. size and sector of business) to meet local needs.

Property: Ownership

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2016 to Question 37744, on property: ownership, on what date (a) his Department will begin to consult on the detail of the policy and (b) that consultation will end.

Anna Soubry: My Department is currently developing the policy detail to be included within the consultation, which we plan to publish later this year. I am not able to commit to a specific date for the consultation at this point.

Postgraduate Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the operational readiness of the Student Loans Company to administer postgraduate loan applications between June and October 2016.

Joseph Johnson: The Student Loans Company will open for applications for the new master’s loan for postgraduate study from the end of June 2016 and the Department has been working closely with the company to ensure its systems and operational staff are ready to manage the loan’s administration.

Postgraduate Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether a dedicated hotline for postgraduate loan applicants will be established by the Student Loans Company.

Joseph Johnson: There is a dedicated enquiry line for applicants for the new master’s loan for postgraduate study. The number is 0300 100 0031 and the line is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.

Postgraduate Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the expected take-up of postgraduate loans by (a) UK and (b) EU students in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson: The Department’s current central estimate is that around 60,000 students will take out the new postgraduate master’s loan in Academic Year 2016/17. We estimate that a similar number of students will take out the loan in each of the Academic Years 2017/18 and 2018/19. These estimates will be reviewed in light of the student applications received in the first year of the loan’s operation. The new master’s loan will be available to eligible students including those UK students ordinarily resident in England or EU nationals resident elsewhere in the EU who meet the loan’s eligibility criteria. As this is a new loan product this year, it is too early to give an accurate estimate of the domicile of borrowers in 2017/18 or 2018/19.

Postgraduate Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the additional staffing and resources required by the Student Loans Company for administration and postgraduate loan applications from October 2016.

Joseph Johnson: The Student Loans Company will open applications for the new master’s loan for postgraduate study from the end of June 2016. Around 40 additional full-time equivalent staff will support the new loan product. The additional staff will be required to process the applications, administer the payment of student loans and deal with any enquiries from students in relation to the new product.

Students: Disability

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that universities are offering disabled students appropriate levels of support.

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase accessibility to university buildings for disabled students.

Joseph Johnson: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with the potential has the opportunity to benefit from higher education, irrespective of their background or mode of learning. In the last academic year we saw record entry rates to higher education, including among those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Higher Education Institutions have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support their students, including those with disabilities. They have a clear legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people to ensure they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students.Universities expect to spend more than £745 million through access agreements agreed with the Director of Fair Access on measures to improve access and success for students from disadvantaged groups, including disabled students - up significantly from £404 million in 2009.In addition, to support Higher Education (HE) providers to prepare for the changes to Disabled Students’ Allowances that come into effect from academic year 2016/17, the Department has supported the establishment of a sector-led group of stakeholders. The group’s focus is to communicate with senior leaders of HE providers, to help provide information about institutions’ responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, and to encourage HE providers to develop inclusive learning environments.

Energy: Competition

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations officials, advisers and Ministers of his Department made to the Competition and Markets Authority on the date of publication of its final report on the energy market.

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he or any of his Ministerial colleagues were consulted by the Competition and Markets Authority on the date upon which it plans to publish its investigation into the energy market.

Nick Boles: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is independent of Government. The timing of CMA publications is a matter for the CMA, taking into account its statutory deadlines.

Business: Billing

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to tackle late payment of suppliers by businesses.

Anna Soubry: We are implementing a package of measures to support a cultural change to tackle late payment, including the Small Business Commissioner, the duty for large businesses to report on payment practices and support for the voluntary Prompt Payment Code. The Regulations to give effect to the duty to report will be laid for debate early in 2017.

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations in the first report of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, published in April 2016.

Anna Soubry: The Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) requires implementing countries to form a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) consisting of industry, civil society and government, who work in partnership to implement EITI. The MSG meets every 2 months with the next meeting on 12 July.The UK MSG is currently reviewing the first year’s report and these recommendations form part of that review.

Apprentices: Degrees

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the maximum duration should be for a degree apprenticeship.

Nick Boles: There is no maximum duration for Degree Apprenticeships. The pattern of delivery of the degree will be a key component in the length of a Degree Apprenticeship, both employers and Higher Education providers will want to ensure the apprenticeship standard is achieved in full.

Apprentices: Ethnic Groups

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to reduce the gap in apprenticeship completion rates for people who are Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.

Nick Boles: We want to increase the quantity and quality of all apprenticeships, including for people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. Our far-reaching reforms are improving the quality of all apprenticeships. We have insisted that they must all be paid jobs with substantial training, develop transferable skills and have a minimum 12 months’ duration. The Institute for Apprenticeships is being created to ensure the quality of apprenticeship standards in England. Information on apprenticeship completion rates is published in the National Achievement Rate Tables: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/sfa-national-achievement-rates-tables-2014-to-2015

Apprentices: Degrees

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on whether the cost of degree apprenticeships are supported from the proceeds of the apprenticeship levy.

Nick Boles: The apprenticeship levy will fund growth in apprenticeships at all levels, including Degree Apprenticeships. Degree Apprenticeships are widening access to the professions and providing higher level technical skills employers need.

Higher Education: Males

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the report, Boys to Men: The under achievement of young men in higher education, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute in May 2016, what steps the Government is taking to increase (a) the level of achievement of young men in higher education and (b) male entry rates into higher education.

Joseph Johnson: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with the potential has the opportunity to benefit from higher education, irrespective of their background or gender. In the last academic year we saw record entry rates to higher education, including among those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In our recent guidance to the Director of Fair Access, we asked him to focus support on groups with the lowest participation rates, including white males from disadvantaged backgrounds. Universities expect to spend more than £745 million through access agreements agreed with the Director of Fair Access on measures to improve access and also success for students from disadvantaged backgrounds - up significantly from £404 million in 2009.

Students: Disability

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that universities offer disabled students levels of support which take account of recent changes to the disabled students' allowance.

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase accessibility to university buildings for disabled students.

Joseph Johnson: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with the potential has the opportunity to benefit from higher education, irrespective of their background or mode of learning. In the last academic year we saw record entry rates to higher education, including among those from disadvantaged backgrounds Higher Education Institutions have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support their students, including those with disabilities. They have a clear legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people to ensure they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. To support Higher Education (HE) providers to prepare for the changes to Disabled Students’ Allowances that come into effect from academic year 2016/17, the Department has supported the establishment of a sector-led group ofstakeholders. The group’s focus is to communicate with senior leaders of HE providers, to help provide information about institutions’ responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students, and to encourage HE providers to develop inclusive learning environments.In addition, universities expect to spend more than £745 million through access agreements agreed with the Director of Fair Access on measures to improve access and success for students from disadvantaged groups, including disabled students - up significantly from £404 million in 2009.

Living Wage: Clacton

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of the workforce in Clacton constituency are in receipt of the national living wage.

Nick Boles: 2.9 million workers are expected to directly benefit from the National Living Wage by 2020, 11 per cent of which are located in the East of England. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no detailed assessment of the beneficiaries of the National Living Wage at local authority level.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many Civil Service employees of his Department were based in Coventry in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has 6 civil servants currently based in Coventry. Prior to that, some BIS employees were working on a multi-site basis. To establish which employees had worked in the Coventry office and the proportion of time they had spent in the Coventry office, over each of the past 5 years, would incur disproportionate costs.

Consumer Protection Measures in the Ticket Resale Market Review

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to respond to the Waterson Report on Secondary Ticketing, published on 22 May 2016.

Nick Boles: The Government will publish its response to Professor Waterson’s independent review in due course.

Migrant Workers

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans his Department has to help fill potential skills shortages in junior doctor and teaching positions resulting from the £35,000 income requirement for settlement of Tier 2 skilled workers over the next five years.

Nick Boles: Health Education England is the NHS body responsible for planning and commissioning training places for medical and non-medical NHS staff. Health Education England do not accept that the £35,000 income requirement will lead to a skills shortage in junior doctors and their current workforce plan for medical training commissions forecasts an increase of over 11,000 consultants and doctors by 2020. Applicants that have been granted Tier 2 visas enabling them to take on work or training within the UK cannot apply for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) until they have been resident for 5 years. Whilst it is recognised that basic starting salaries for junior doctors may be below the £35,000 threshold, junior doctors also receive salary allowances. By the end of the 5 year period most will have progressed sufficiently and are likely to be above the required threshold, ensuring that only the brightest and best may apply to settle.In respect of teaching positions, secondary education teachers from non EEA countries in the subjects of maths, chemistry and physics are on the shortage occupation list and thus are exempt from the £35,000 threshold. At a national level we are retaining and recruiting the teachers we need to deliver educational excellence everywhere. We have more teachers in our schools than ever before and the number of teachers has kept pace with changing numbers of pupils. There are more than 450,000 teachers in schools throughout England – up more than 13,000 since 2010. We recognise, however, that the strengthening economy and growth in pupil numbers make the situation more challenging and that this is more acute in certain subjects and particular schools or areas of the country. That is why; we have expanded schemes like Teach First and let schools take the lead in training the next generation of teachers; we are investing over £1.3 billion up to 2020 to attract new teachers into the profession and we continue to offer generous bursaries of up to £30,000 tax free in priority subjects. Last year we announced a £67 million investment in STEM teaching in England to recruit up to 2,500 additional maths and physics teachers over the next 5 years as well as providing subject knowledge training in maths and physics to 15,000 non-specialist serving teachers.

EU External Trade

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of trade negotiators employed by the EU are UK nationals.

Anna Soubry: Of the 596 officials, temporary staff and contract officials working in the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission, the statistical bulletin of the European Commission from February of this year shows that 32 of these were UK nationals, i.e. approximately 5.4%.

Department for International Development

Israel: West Bank

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to address demolitions by Israel of Palestinian homes and other structures in the West Bank.

Sir Desmond Swayne: The UK remains extremely concerned at the large increase in demolitions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since the start of 2016, compared to the monthly average in 2015, and continues to raise this with the Israeli authorities. Demolitions and the evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering, are harmful to the peace process, and in all but the most exceptional of cases are contrary to international humanitarian law. The UK supports the Norwegian Refugee Council to provide legal aid to Palestinian communities that are at risk of displacement.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Albinism

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of attacks on and murder of people with albinism in sub-Saharan African countries.

Mr Nick Hurd: The UK is concerned by any reports of violence perpetrated against people with albinism. The UK, both the FCO and DFID, raises concerns about human rights violations and abuses in the region whenever possible. For example, our High Commissioner to Malawi raised this issue during his meeting with the Malawian Foreign Minister on 27 April and we will continue to do so.

Developing Countries: Investment

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of bilateral investment treaties between the UK and developing countries on the Government's ability to meet its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr Nick Hurd: Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) commit both Governments to provide a reciprocal standard of treatment towards each other’s investors, including: protection and security against discriminatory action, fair and equitable treatment and a commitment not to expropriate without compensation. BITs should not restrict a developing country’s ability to regulate on domestic policies, including those that contribute towards meeting development aims. Since 2012, through the Investment and Sustainable Development Programme, DFID has provided technical and legal assistance to 24 developing countries to develop and negotiate BiTs that best reflect their own interests.The Sustainable Development Goals sets out several investment-related measures, including the adoption and implementation investment promotion regimes and creation of sound policy frameworks, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies that accelerate investment. The UK is fully committed to supporting the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Developing Countries: Investment

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of investor state dispute settlement mechanisms on the ability of legal systems in developing countries to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals.

Mr Nick Hurd: Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) is an independent legal process through which investors can seek compensation if they believe a host government is in breach of provisions within a bilateral investment treaty. ISDS should not prevent any Government, which acts in accordance with due process, from changing laws, revoking or terminating contracts or regulating in the public interest. Since 2012, through the Investment and Sustainable Development Programme, DFID has provided technical and legal assistance to 24 developing countries to develop and negotiate Bilateral Investment Treaties that best reflect their own interests and understand the legal implications, including those that may lead to an escalation of an ISDS dispute.The Sustainable Development Goals sets out several investment-related measures, including the adoption and implementation investment promotion regimes and creation of sound policy frameworks, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies that accelerate investment. The UK is fully committed to supporting the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Developing Countries: Females

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has for future funding from her Departmental budget for women's rights organisations in developing countries.

Sir Desmond Swayne: DFID supports a wide range of Women’s Rights Organisations (WROs) through specific central programmes, such as the £8 million pound commitment to Amplify Change, reaching WROs to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), child, early and forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation; through multilateral programmes, such as up to £6 million pound commitment to the UN Trust Fund to end VAWG which reaches WROs in 76 countries and territories; and through country programmes, such as the £12.5 million pound Strengthening Transparency, Accountability and Responsiveness (STAR) programme in Ghana.Future plans are to continue these mechanisms, ensuring their effectiveness and expanding or extending where appropriate, and in implementing DFID’s Civil Society Partnership Review to develop and share learning on reaching WROs and small-scale organisations, so that collectively we achieve a systemic approach to supporting a resilient and effective women’s rights movement.

Southern Africa: Food Supply

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to tackle food insecurity in Southern Africa.

Mr Nick Hurd: Southern Africa’s unprecedented El Nino-related drought has triggered a second year of hunger and hardship. More than 31 million people are estimated to be food-insecure across the region. DFID was one of the first donors to respond to the crisis and has already increased the levels of our humanitarian assistance in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho and Zambia. We have also allocated additional funding to support the regional response. As well as responding to the immediate humanitarian needs, we will have increased our efforts to ensure our programme portfolios continue to build resilience and preparedness.DFID is using its influence within the international community to encourage the scaling up of support and to strengthen coordination regionally and at country level. We are also using our influence with partner governments to advocate for the logistical measures to improve the transport of supplies into and within the region.

Developing Countries: Females

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to support the International Trade Centre's She Trades initiative; and if she will make a statement.

Sir Desmond Swayne: DFID is a strong supporter of women’s economic empowerment. The Secretary of State is on the UN High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, which will accelerate global action on this agenda. The SheTrades Initiative is a consequence of DFID’s funding for the International Trade Centre’s women and trade programme, which helps women entrepreneurs from developing countries to trade and access markets. To date this programme has directly supported 2,600 women entrepreneurs, and indirectly contributed to 12,000 women benefiting from market access opportunities.

Department for Education

Free Schools

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37381, if she will publish the pre-opening costs of free schools by each category of expenditure commonly incurred in the pre-opening stage.

Edward Timpson: As stated in my response to question 37381, the total pre-opening revenue expenditure for free school projects that opened or were withdrawn or cancelled in 2011 to 2015 is published on the Department's website: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/523706/Free_Schools_Data_for_Publication.xlsxThe capital costs of all free school projects, including any costs incurred on projects that have withdrawn, are included in the Department for Education’s annual accounts which are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reportsManagement of the grant is the responsibility of the academy trust and must comply with the requirements of the Academies Financial Handbook. We do not specify how the funding should be allocated and do not have a breakdown by category of expenditure.

Academies: Marketing

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any limits are placed on the funds academies can spend on marketing.

Edward Timpson: Academy trusts must spend their funds on their charitable objectives to advance education. Within this limit, trusts are responsible for determining for themselves how to allocate their funds across different activities, including marketing, and for ensuring that their spending decisions achieve regularity, propriety and value for money. Trusts are best placed to make this decision, in light of their individual circumstances.

Academies: Marketing

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was spent by academies on marketing and public relations in each of the most recent five years for which figures are available; and how much of that spending came from (a) public funding and (b) other sources.

Edward Timpson: Marketing and public relations is not a category under which the Department collects expenditure information from academies and data is not, therefore, held by the Department in a way which distinguishes it from other spending by academies.Income and expenditure data for academies is collected and published each year by the Department as a Statistical First Release. The latest published data is for 2013/14 and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-and-expenditure-in-academies-in-england-2013-to-2014It is not possible to differentiate for any spend in an academy whether it was made from public funds or from self-generated income.

School Leaving: Employment

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that all 18 year olds leaving school have the skills to prepare a high quality CV.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department publishes statutory guidance (for schools which sets a clear framework for the provision of careers advice and guidance. The guidance, which is available at www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/440795/Careers_Guidance_Schools_Guidance.pdf sets out how every school should engage with local employers and professionals to ensure real-world connections are in place to prepare young people for working life. These activities could include speakers from the world of work, mentoring, workplace visits or help with basic career management skills like CV writing. The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) continues to make excellent progress. Its Enterprise Adviser Network is brokering links between schools, colleges and employers in 36 Local Enterprise Partnership areas; with 60 Enterprise Coordinators and 400 Enterprise Advisers working with schools and colleges to support their careers and enterprise provision. In March 2016 The CEC announced 33 successful bidders to its £5m careers and enterprise fund. This £5m investment from government will boost provision for nearly 250,000 young people across England in 75% of the areas the company has identified as ‘cold spots’. In addition, the company is working to create a new generation of high-quality mentors to help teenagers fulfil their potential.

Academies: Admissions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2016 to Question 37443, what guidance her Department provides to school admission authorities on engaging with those people that the Schools Admissions Code requires them to consult.

Nick Gibb: It is for admission authorities to decide, in light of their local circumstances, how best to fulfil the duty set out in the School Admissions Code to consult on their admission arrangements.

Ofsted: Staff

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what procedures her Department has in place to scrutinise any possible conflicts of interest that Ofsted inspectors may have when inspecting primary schools; how many Ofsted inspectors are involved in the conversion of primary schools to academies in either an advisory or developmental capacity; and whether Ofsted inspectors are required to inform head teachers that they have an interest in the development of academies prior to conducting an inspection.

Nick Gibb: These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Ofsted: Staff

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofsted inspectors are required to have experience of teaching in primary schools prior to becoming an inspector.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Schools: Registration

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 40028, on investigations into unregistered schools, how many investigations her Department is currently carrying out into unregistered schools in England.

Edward Timpson: As set out in my answer to questions 39845 and 40028, we are currently investigating institutions that may be operating as unregistered independent schools in England. The actual number under investigation fluctuates all the time as new settings come to our attention and existing ones close, or are confirmed not to be operating as schools. We will make a statement about progress in due course.

STEM Subjects: Teachers

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to ensure STEM-qualified teachers are exempt from the £35,000 income threshold for settlement for non-EU workers.

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure schools continue to recruit and retain non-EU nationals in STEM subjects who do not meet the £35,000 income threshold for settlement.

Nick Gibb: The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016, Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. Secondary education teachers from non-EU countries in the subjects of mathematics, chemistry and physics are on the shortage occupation list and thus are exempt from the £35,000 threshold.

Academies

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what powers she has to prevent multi-academy trusts from expanding faster than their capacity to maintain a strong record on school improvement.

Edward Timpson: Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) take decisions in the name of the Secretary of State. RSCs are responsible for intervening where there is underperformance and for the creation of new academies.When schools are converting to academy status as part of a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) or joining an existing MAT, it is the RSC’s role to decide whether to approve or decline the application. The RSC, supported by their headteacher board, will want to be assured that the governance and leadership of the MAT is clear and robust; and that the MAT has the capacity to drive improvement across all schools within it.The RSC will reassess MATs at key milestones throughout the academic year (such as following exam results) and at key stages of their growth to consider their capacity to support and enable the academies within their MAT to improve.This information is publically available and can be found in the RSC decision-making framework on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/517565/RSC-Decision-Making-Framework.pdf

Pre-school Education: Yorkshire and the Humber

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children in (a) Bradford South constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber who do not meet the expected levels of speech and communication skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Government wants all children, regardless of their background, to have access to high quality early education and childcare, as we know this is what makes the difference to outcomes. To help close the gap between disadvantaged children and their better off peers, we introduced the two-year-old entitlement of 15 hours of free early education in September 2013. Already 70% of two-year-olds are benefitting from the free early education entitlement. We have also invested over £50 million in the Early Years Pupil Premium, to further help disadvantaged children in the early years.While the Department does not carry out analysis at constituency level on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile results, information at Bradford local authority level shows a significant increase in the proportion of children reaching the expected level in communication and language. The most recent EYFS Profile results show that the gap has narrowed:For Bradford local authority: 78.3% in 2015, compared to 71.2% in 2014 and 66.6% in 2013; andFor the Yorkshire and Humberside region: 79.5% in 2015, compared to 75.7% in 2014 and 69.9% in 2013.The national picture shows a similar trend with the gap narrowing to 80.3% in 2015 from 77.1% in 2014 and 72.2% in 2013.

Teachers: Pay

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38401, whether she plans to publish her response to the School Teachers' Review Body report on teachers' pay from September 2016 and the draft 2016 School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document for consultation and information before 14 July 2016.

Nick Gibb: We will continue to consider carefully the report from the School Teachers’ Review Body and its recommendations. We will publish the report, together with our response and a draft revised School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, as soon as we have completed our consideration of it.

Children: Pornography

Mrs Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps in response to the findings of the report published by the Children's Commissioner and the NSPCC in July 2016, on a quantitative and qualitative examination of the impact of online pornography on the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of children and young people, to ensure that all children have access to age-appropriate PSHE at school.

Edward Timpson: Education can play a vital role in helping young people understand healthy relationships and identify those which are unhealthy. It can also give young people the confidence and knowledge they need to stay safe and respect others. Sex and relationships education (SRE) must be taught in all maintained secondary schools and we expect academies to teach it as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.Schools can also choose to teach about the impact of pornography in their Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) lessons drawing on the guidance and resources available. The PSHE Association has produced a non-statutory programme of study as guidance for teachers, which includes teaching about the impact of pornography. The Government publishes guidance for schools teaching SRE, which is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/283599/sex_and_relationship_education_guidance.pdf.The guidance makes clear that all SRE should be age-appropriate, and that schools should make sure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour. This is particularly relevant to sexual consent, and the guidance makes clear that all young people should understand how the law applies to sexual relationships. The guidance covers the importance of marriage, loving and stable relationships, consent and how to avoid exploitation and abuse.The Government has made it clear in the introduction to the framework to the national curriculum that all schools should teach PSHE and we are working to ensure that all young people receive high quality, age-appropriate PSHE and SRE.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: EU Nationals

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the number of EU nationals in prisons in England and Wales in (a) the latest period for which figures are available and (b) each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous: It is the Government’s position that, wherever possible, prisoners should serve their sentences in their home countries, reducing the burden on the UK taxpayer. The most recent foreign national offender statistics can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/519445/prison-population-31-march-2016.xlsx.Foreign national offender prison populations back to 2002 are published at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449241/prison-population-2015.xlsx

Jobseeker's Allowance: Disqualification

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department collects on the (a) cost of tribunal hearings for sanctioned jobseeker's allowance claimants and (b) costs of tribunals for other benefits.

Mr Shailesh Vara: Her Majesty's Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) cannot isolate cost data relating to specific benefit types. I refer the hon Member to my answer to PQ 39104, which states that the estimated average cost of a tribunal case for all benefits in the First Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) in 2014/15 (the latest period for which figures are available) was £468.

Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's survey on legal aid for domestic violence victims in private family law cases, what plans his Department has to launch a full consultation on that subject.

Mr Shailesh Vara: As I informed the House on 21 April, the Ministry of Justice has begun work with domestic violence support groups, legal representative bodies and colleagues across government to gather data and develop our understanding of these issues. Our findings will be used to inform an evidence-based solution to the concerns, with the aim of drawing up replacement regulations.

Football: Hooliganism

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) convicted and (b) jailed for football hooliganism in each of the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts in England and Wales for football-specific offences under sections 2-4 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991, from 1996 to 2015, can be viewed in the table. This data is a further breakdown of information published regularly on gov.uk in the Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly. The data does not include football-related proceedings under other, generic, legislation, as it is not possible to distinguish which are football-related.



Defendants proceed against & found guilty 1996-15
(Excel SpreadSheet, 36.5 KB)

Prisoners: Employment

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve the provision of meaningful employment to prisoners in all categories of prison.

Andrew Selous: All prisons provide opportunities for prisoners to work and learn new skills to help support their rehabilitation. We work continuously with employers and prisons to create new opportunities for work experience and employment, and our programme of reform will build on this, so that prisons can help offenders get the skills and qualifications they need to make a success of life on the outside.

Prisons: Reform

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the criteria used to select the six early adopter reform prisons.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what reforms have been put in place in the six early adopter reform prisons to tackle (a) self-harm, (b) prisoner on prisoner violence, (c) assaults on staff and (d) use of new psychoactive substances; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous: I refer the honourable member to the answer given to PQ 38292 on 02 June 2016. Reform prisons have unprecedented freedom over their regime and the rehabilitative services they provide, allowing their governors to innovate and run their prison as they see fit. We have put the tools to drive change in the hands of those at the frontline who know best what works. Governors are currently developing reform plans for their prisons. They are expected to tackle the most pressing challenges in their prisons which are likely to include many of these issues.

Prisons: Reform

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish the Prison Reform Bill.

Andrew Selous: The Bill was announced as part of legislative programme for this session in the Queen's speech. Further details on the timing of the Bill will be announced in due course.

Prisons: Arson

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the public purse was of repairs to cells and prisoner accommodation required because of acts of arson in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Selous: The Information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Legal Representation

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government has taken to monitor the proportion of defendants who are unrepresented.

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government has taken to provide guidance to unrepresented defendants.

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of unrepresented defendants were unrepresented because they (a) failed to meet the legal aid merits test, (b) failed to meet the legal aid means test and (c) chose to defend themselves in the latest period for which figures are available.

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many unrepresented defendants there were in the (a) magistrates' courts and (b) Crown courts.

Mr Shailesh Vara: Data on the representation status of defendants in the Crown Court is published as part of the annual Criminal Court Statistics publication at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2015. The representation status of defendants in magistrates’ courts is not recorded. Data on whether unrepresented defendants meet legal aid means and merits tests, and whether they chose to defend themselves, is not available.

Disability Living Allowance: Appeals

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many rejected mandatory reconsiderations submitted in relation to re-assessments of entitlement of disability living allowance for children resulted in an appeal tribunal being conducted in the last three years for which figures are available.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeal tribunal decisions in relation to re-assessments of entitlement of disability living allowance for children found in favour of the claimant in the last three years for which figures are available.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeal tribunal decisions in relation to re-assessments of entitlement of disability living allowance for children found in favour of the Department for Work and Pensions in the last three years for which figures are available.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The information requested is not held centrally.

Prisoners: Gender Recognition

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish new guidance on assisting transgender people in prison.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government is firmly committed to ensuring that the needs of transgender prisoners are fully met and their rights respected. The Ministry of Justice has carried out a review into the care and management of transgender offenders, which will be published in due course.

Prisons: Vandalism

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the public purse was of replacement prison cell doors because of damage by prisoners in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous: The Information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Civil Proceedings

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on (a) consulting on and (b) piloting future planned reforms of the civil courts structure.

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of Lord Justice Briggs in his report entitled, Civil Courts Structure: Interim Report, published in December 2015, that personal injury should be excluded from the Online Court.

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report by Lord Justice Briggs on his report entitled, Civil Courts Structure: Interim Report, published in December 2015, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding in paragraph 5.23 of that report.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Government welcomes Lord Justice Briggs’s interim report on the review of civil court structures. Our courts and tribunals are antiquated and need urgent reform. We are considering the recommendations of the interim report and will also pay close attention to the content of Lord Justice Briggs’s final report. Our work to reform the courts and tribunals includes consideration of a range of innovative approaches to provide more effective access to justice. In particular we want to make better use of technology to provide simpler court processes. As part of this we will consider the extent to which technology can be used to resolve some of the most complex cases, including personal injury claims.Lord Justice Briggs has undertaken extensive consultation as part of his Review. In addition to this, the Government will continue to engage and consult with the judiciary, practitioners and court users on our wider programme to reform the courts and tribunals.

Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission: Staff

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Electoral Commission's staff handbook.

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has given to its staff on political impartiality.

Mr Gary Streeter: A copy of the Electoral Commission’s code of conduct for staff has been placed in the House Library.This document, which is available on the Commission’s intranet and circulated at regular intervals through internal bulletins to remind staff of its content, sets out clearly the conduct expected of staff in their capacity as a Commission employee, including that, “Throughout your employment/engagement … with the Commission you are required to conduct yourself so as not to raise any questions as to the political impartiality of the Commission”.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether any non-UK EU nationals were sent postal votes in error for the upcoming EU referendum.

Mr Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission became aware of an issue with elections software used by a number of local authorities in England and Wales on 1 June that meant some non-eligible EU citizens had mistakenly received postal votes.The software provider has resolved the issue which means that all postal votes that have been sent to non-eligible EU citizens have been cancelled, including in cases where completed postal votes had already been returned.All of the affected electors have also been written to by their local Electoral Registration Officer with an explanation of what happened and have been told that they will not be able to vote at the referendum.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to ensure that any non-UK EU nationals who were issued polling cards in error for the EU referendum will not be able to vote in that referendum.

Mr Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission became aware of an issue with elections software used by a number of local authorities in England and Wales on 1 June that meant some non-eligible EU citizens had mistakenly received poll cards for the EU Referendum.The software provider has resolved the issue which means that none of these electors will be shown as eligible on the electoral registers to be used at polling stations on 23 June so will not be able to vote in the EU Referendum.All of the affected electors have also been written to by their local Electoral Registration Officer with an explanation of what happened and have been told that they will not be able to vote at the referendum.

Prime Minister

Prime Minister: Travel

Tim Loughton: To ask the Prime Minister, by how long his train from London was delayed when attending a meeting with parliamentary colleagues and others at Haywards Heath on 13 June 2016; what alternative arrangements were made for his travel; and what the cost to the public purse was of those arrangements.

Mr David Cameron: My travel arrangements are in accordance with chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code.

Ministry of Defence

Type 26 Frigates

Mrs Flick Drummond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Type 26 frigate will be able to operate across the full range of climatic conditions in which the Royal Navy operates.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be designed for joint and multinational operations from the tropics and Arabian Gulf in the summer to the sub-Arctic. The ship's design will accommodate a broad range of environmental conditions to deliver a globally deployable ship throughout its planned life.I am withholding further detail as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Type 23 Frigates

Mrs Flick Drummond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to extend the operational life of the Type 23 frigate.

Mr Philip Dunne: There are currently no plans to extend further the out of service dates for the Type 23 Frigates.

Ministry of Defence Police

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Earl Howe, House of Lords Official Report, 27 April 2016, column 1202, when the new crime registrar for the service police will be appointed.

Mark Lancaster: The post of Service Police Force Incident and Crime Registrar is currently being advertised internally to Ministry of Defence civil servants in accordance with civil service recruiting rules. The closing date is 28 June. In the event that no one suitable is identified, the position will be advertised more widely in the civil service before consideration for external recruitment. The date of appointment to the position is dependent on the outcome of the recruitment process.

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Earl Howe, House of Lords Official Report, 27 April 2016, column 1201, and his announcement of a review by the Service Justice Board into the procedures for handling allegations of sexual assault in the armed forces, what the (a) current membership of the Service Justice Board is and (b) terms of that review are.

Mark Lancaster: The established membership of the Service Justice Board is as follows:Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans - ChairMinister of State for Policing, Fire, Criminal Justice & VictimsSolicitor GeneralJudge Advocate GeneralDirector of Service ProsecutionsChief of Defence People2nd Sea LordDeputy Chief of the General StaffAir Member for PersonnelMOD Central Legal ServicesDirector Army Legal ServicesCommander Navy Legal ServicesDirector RAF Legal ServicesProvost Marshal (Army)Provost Marshal (RAF)Provost Marshal (Navy)Chief Constable Ministry of Defence PoliceDirector Military Courts ServiceOther officials may be invited to attend as and when necessary.The review into the procedures for handling allegations of sexual assault in the Armed Forces is to consider whether all, or any, of the offences of: sexual assault, exposure, voyeurism, or sexual activity in a public lavatory should be added to Schedule 2 to the Armed Forces Act 2006. The views expressed in both Houses during the passage of the Armed Forces Act 2016, and by external organisations such as Liberty, are an important factor in the on-going work on this issue.

Veterans: Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on which organisations have offered mental health support to veterans in (a) England, (b) Merseyside and (c) Liverpool in each year since 2010.

Mark Lancaster: In the UK, primary responsibility for the provision of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans rests with the NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations. Funding of mental healthcare for veterans is a matter for the NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups in England and their equivalents in the Devolved Administrations. These bodies will hold information on the organisations providing mental healthcare to veterans in the UK.The Ministry of Defence provides advice, information and signposting to support services for veterans though its Veterans UK web pages and free telephone helpline service and we encourage veterans wishing to seek help with mental health problems to visit: www.gov.uk/mental-health-support-for-the-uk-armed-forces or call the 24-hour veterans' mental health helpline on 0800 138 1619.

Apprentices: Shipbuilding

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral evidence given by Duncan McPhee to the Defence Committee on 7 June 2016, HC221, at Question 120, what discussions his Department has had with other public bodies on increasing the number of apprenticeships in the shipbuilding industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: The number of apprenticeships in the shipbuilding industry is primarily a matter for the contractors concerned. However, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the importance of apprenticeships in developing the essential skills needed by industry to deliver defence outputs. As one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the UK, the MOD plays an important role in helping the Government meet its commitment to reaching three million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020. We also work closely with colleagues across Government and industry to ensure that necessary defence skills are maintained. For example, as part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 'Trailblazer' programme, the Royal Navy is working with industry partners to develop new world-class apprenticeship standards for engineers working on shipbuilding and maintenance.

Type 26 Frigates

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral evidence given by Lord West of Spithead to the Defence Committee on 7 June 2016, HC 221, at Question 20, what current budget is allocated to procurement of and building Type 26 frigates; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: For equipment procurement programmes the cost and schedule is set at the main investment decision, and the Type 26 Global Combat Ships programme has not yet reached that decision point. I am therefore withholding budgetary information regarding the procurement and building of the Type 26 frigates as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Warships: Antisubmarine Warfare

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral evidence given by Sir Mark Stanhope to the Defence Committee on 7 June 2016, HC 221, at Question 3, what anti-submarine warfare capability is planned for the general purpose frigates; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: The General Purpose Frigate Programme has just begun its pre-concept phase activity. This work will consider a range of capability requirements based on the ship's role, operating environment and the likely threats it will face. This work will also take into account the wider capabilities available to Defence, such as those provided through the procurement of the Anti Submarine Warfare capable Type 26 Frigates.

Type 26 Frigates

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral evidence given by Peter Roberts to the Defence Committee on 7 June 2016, HC 221, at Question 22, what the timetable is for (a) procurement of the Type 26 frigates and (b) cutting steel on those frigates; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 May 2016 to Ouestion 37138 to the hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr Julian Lewis).



Type 26 Frigates
(Word Document, 15.37 KB)

Ministry of Defence Police: Trident

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to review the role of the Ministry of Defence Police in safeguarding the Trident nuclear deterrent.

Mark Lancaster: As part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we are reviewing a series of options that may change the way we provide our policing and guarding at some sites. Further work is required to assess the feasibility and implementation of these options and, at the appropriate time, we will initiate formal consultation with the Ministry of Defence Police staff associations.

Trident Submarines: Barrow in Furness

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been invested in facilities at Barrow-in-Furness to support the Trident renewal programme in 2015-16.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the budgeted expenditure is in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18 on facility improvements at Faslane to support the Trident renewal programme.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the budgeted expenditure is in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18 on facility improvements at Barrow-in-Furness to support the Trident renewal programme.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been invested on facilities at Faslane to support the Trident renewal programme in 2015-16.

Mr Philip Dunne: The infrastructure and facilities investments being made at the Barrow-in-Furness and Faslane sites are for all our submarines not just the Successor programme. I am withholding internal Ministry of Defence forecasts on future programme expenditure as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice on-going commercial negotiations.

NATO: Armed Forces

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide details of what (a) ships and (b) aircraft by (i) type and (ii) number are allocated to the Very High Readiness Task Force in 2016-17.

Mr Julian Brazier: In 2016 the UK's contribution to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Maritime) will include a Maritime Commander (Rear Admiral) with 150 staff embarked in a Landing Platform Helicopter (HMS Ocean), one Type 23 Frigate for six months from January to July, one Type 45 Destroyer for up to seven weeks in the autumn and one Mine Countermeasures Vessel. In 2017, the UK's contribution will be a Commander (Commodore) and Type 45 Destroyer for six months, an ECHO Class Survey Ship (in a command role) plus one Mine Countermeasures Vessel.Throughout 2016 and 2017, the UK's contribution to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Air) will include six Tornados and six Typhoons, Airborne Early Warning and Air to Air refueling aircraft.

Type 45 Destroyers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will eliminate the cost of adapting Type 45 destroyers to operate in warm waters.

Mr Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend the Minister of State for Defence, Earl Howe to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem in the House of Lords to Question HL5630 on 8 February 2016. The Type 45 Destroyers were designed for world-wide operations, from sub-Arctic to extreme tropical environments and continue to operate effectively in the Persian Gulf and South Atlantic at all times of the year.



Type 45 Destroyers
(Word Document, 14.62 KB)

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of ongoing maintenance on the UK P-8 Poseidon has been conducted in the US under US International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Mr Philip Dunne: The main investment decision on the UK's Maritime Patrol Aircraft programme has not yet been taken by Ministers, and no contracts have been placed to procure the P-8 Poseidon aircraft. No maintenance activity has therefore taken place on a British P-8 Poseidon aircraft.

Boeing

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current value of contracts is between his Department and Boeing and Boeing UK; and what proportion of work under those contracts is carried out in the UK.

Mr Philip Dunne: The current value of contracts between the Ministry of Defence and Boeing and Boeing Defence UK Ltd is approximately £665.75 million and £2.49 billion respectively. Contracts are also held with the Boeing subsidiaries Aviation Training International Ltd and Jeppesen UK Ltd amounting to £415.91 million and £6.59 million respectively.The proportion of work by value carried out in the UK is around 53 per cent. This figure is based on direct contracts where the location of work code indicates that work is undertaken in the UK.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the P-8 Poseidon will be capable of carrying UK Storm Shadow and other manufactured munitions.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department intends to bring the P-8A into service without significant modification to ensure the delivery of operational capability as soon as is practicable. There are no current plans to integrate Stormshadow or other UK manufactured weapons onto the aircraft.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost of the UK P-8 Poseidon programme is; and what proportion of work share under that programme will be delivered through the UK defence industry.

Mr Philip Dunne: The main investment decision on the UK's Maritime Patrol Aircraft programme has not yet been taken by Ministers and the initital support costs of the programme have not therefore been determined.The Department is working with the US Department of Defense and Boeing on the route to contract for the programme. These negotiations will determine what elements of the programme could result in UK industrial participation.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what he plans the UK operational in-service date for the P-8 Poseidon will be.

Mr Philip Dunne: The main investment decision on the UK's Maritime Patrol Aircraft programme has not yet been taken by Ministers and the date at which the aircraft will be brought into service has yet to be determined. As the Prime Minister set out during last year's Strategic Defence and Security Review, however, at least three of the aircraft will be in place by the end of the current Parliament.

Armed Forces: Resignations

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel handed in a formal notice of resignation in each month between January 2010 and January 2014.

Mark Lancaster: Details of the number of trained Armed Forces personnel who handed in a formal notice of resignation during the period requested are given in the tables below. The information provided is an estimate of the number of applications made by Service personnel to leave before the end of their agreed engagement or commission period. It relates to those who have an application to leave recorded on their personnel record on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. Voluntary Outflow is defined as all exits from trained personnel which are voluntarily generated by the individual before the end of their agreed engagement or commission period. It should be noted that the figures for the Royal Navy/Royal Marines (RN/RM) and Army do not include people who requested to leave but had their application refused. Royal Navy/Royal MarinesMonthNumber of Voluntary Outflow applicationsJanuary 2010130February 2010100March 2010110April 201090May 2010110June 2010110July 201090August 201080September 2010100October 2010110November 201070December 2010100January 201180February 2011100March 2011120April 2011100May 2011120June 2011180July 2011160August 201150September 2011210October 2011110November 2011190December 201160January 201290February 2012140March 2012180April 2012120May 2012100June 2012140July 2012120August 201290September 2012150October 2012130November 2012100December 201280January 2013100February 2013120March 2013140April 2013110May 2013140June 2013110July 2013140August 201360September 2013130October 2013160November 2013150December 201370  Army MonthNumber of Voluntary Outflow applicationsJanuary 2010470February 2010370March 2010390April 2010360May 2010430June 2010430July 2010440August 2010330September 2010570October 2010370November 2010450December 2010220January 2011720February 2011490March 2011460April 2011450May 2011600June 2011560July 2011470August 2011460September 2011710October 2011520November 2011570December 2011230January 2012710February 2012540March 2012500April 2012460May 2012500June 2012450July 2012460August 2012360September 2012540October 2012460November 2012380December 2012150January 2013520February 2013380March 2013330April 2013410May 2013400June 2013580July 2013560August 2013260September 2013610October 2013440November 2013390December 2013200  Royal Air Force MonthNumber of Voluntary Outflow applicationsJanuary 201080February 201080March 201080April 201060May 201050June 201070July 201050August 201060September 201090October 201060November 201090December 201050January 2011120February 201180March 2011130April 201190May 2011130June 2011120July 2011110August 2011120September 2011140October 2011110November 2011120December 201180January 2012150February 2012130March 2012140April 2012120May 2012130June 2012160July 2012140August 2012130September 2012160October 2012190November 2012140December 2012100January 2013190February 2013130March 2013160April 2013140May 2013130June 2013140July 2013150August 2013110September 2013170October 2013150November 2013140December 2013110 In accordance with the Defence Statistics rounding policy, all figures are rounded to the nearest 10, and numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid systematic bias.

Ministry of Defence: Buildings

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to maintain a military presence on the site of Kneller Hall in Whitton.

Mark Lancaster: The decision to release Kneller Hall was confirmed as part of the Ministry of Defence’s land release announcement on 18 January 2016. Whilst the site will not be released before 2018, there are no plans to maintain a military presence (people permanently living and working) at the site once it has been released. I am keen to reinforce the Military relationship with the Kneller hall site, utilising our historic links with Twickenham Borough Council who have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging specific support for the Armed Forces Community. We have also previously committed to continue to hold concerts at Kneller Hall in order to continue the association of the area with the Armed Forces.

Trident Submarines

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the security benefits of procuring four Successor submarines.

Michael Fallon: The United Kingdom’s continuous at sea nuclear deterrent will remain essential to our security today, and for as long as the global security situation demands.A four-boat fleet is the minimum needed to provide the assurance that at least one submarine will always be at sea on covert patrol.

Islamic State: Military Intervention

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the progress of the international campaign to defeat ISIS/Daesh.

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Calder Valley (Craig Whittaker) and Sheffield, Heeley (Louise Haigh).

Armed Forces: Crime Prevention

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to protect members of the armed forces from bullying, sexual abuse and other crimes.

Mark Lancaster: Our Armed Forces are held in the highest esteem for their discipline, conduct and representation of our country. Any form of bullying or sexual abuse is utterly contrary to their culture, values and ethos. The Ministry of Defence strives to reduce crime and behaviour that impacts on victims and operational capability.Senior Officers and all personnel continue to reinforce the zero tolerance approach and actively counter any form of behaviour which damages the reputation of our Armed Forces.

Armed Forces: Civil Proceedings

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to protect the armed forces from persistent legal claims.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave in the House on 18 April 2016 to Question 904485 to the hon. Member for Braintree (James Cleverly).



Previous answer referred to
(Word Document, 15.63 KB)

Armed Forces

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to promote the welfare of armed forces personnel.

Mr Julian Brazier: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Kirsten Oswald).

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support British jobs and industry through its procurement process.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence spends some £20 billion a year in the UK, making us British Industry’s largest single customer. Around half of this spend is in manufacturing and some £4 billion with small and medium-sized enterprises. We are determined to drive greater innovation into defence procurement, maximising opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses, investing in skills and supporting responsible exports, to help ensure we maintain a healthy and competitive UK defence sector.

Defence: Finance

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the projected increase in defence spending during this Parliament.

Mr Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for South East Cambridgeshire (Lucy Frazer) and Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski).

*No heading*

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve the standard of housing for service personnel.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence is committed to improving the quality of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) provided to our Service personnel. 88% of SFA currently meet or exceed the decent homes standard. If a property fails to meet the standard, it will either be upgraded or disposed of.Since financial year 2010-11 investment in housing has resulted in:The separate installation of some 12,000 kitchens, bathrooms, or central heating systems and the insulation of 16,692 lofts.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to reimburse personal independent payment (PIP) claimants for any additional costs those claimants incur between (a) an appeal or mandatory reconsideration being applied for and (b) a decision being overturned on the award of the enhanced rate mobility component of PIP.

Justin Tomlinson: If an appeal is successful, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) arrears are paid in full to the claimant. If a PIP claimant loses their entitlement to a Motability car as a result of being reassessed, there are transitional arrangements in place which allow them to keep the car for a minimum of 7 weeks after the PIP decision. They will also receive a cash payment of up to £2000 and can re-join the Motability scheme if their eligibility is confirmed following an appeal.

Employment and Support Allowance: Hove

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants in Hove have been reimbursed for travel to the Lewes Assessment Centre since November 2015.

Priti Patel: 162 Employment and Support Allowance claimants living in Hove (the BN3 postcode) have been assessed at Lewes and claimed travel expenses for doing so.

Access to Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of his Department's full-time equivalent officials have been working on Access to Work policy and administration in each year since 2010.

Justin Tomlinson: The number of full-time equivalent officials that have been working on Access to Work policy and administration in each year since 2010 is in the table below:YearNumber of Full Time Equivalent Officials Working on Access to Work Adviser and Other Related Operational ActivitiesNumber of Full Time Equivalent Officials Working on Access to Work Management and Support ActivitiesNumber of Full Time Equivalent Officials Working on Access to Work ActivitiesTOTAL201613359192201517522197201418642228201319738235201218343226201119146237201021137248 The table shows the numbers of full-time equivalents engaged on Access to Work activities. There are no Access to Work policy specific work activities reported within the Departmental Activity Based Management Models.Management and Support Activities include staff engaged on activities that both support the direct delivery of the business such as operational management and cashiers; and activities that support the business such as HR, Finance and IT.Source of management information: The information on the number of officials engaged in Access to Work activities is derived from the Departmental Activity Based Management Models and is a snapshot of how many people are actually badged as undertaking that particular activity at that time.The numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.The management information contained within this document does not form part of any official statistics and is intended for DWP internal use only.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people who may be eligible for support through Access to Work are informed of this when they enter the Work Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Priti Patel: Work Programme providers are expected to take whatever steps are necessary to support participants into work. This may include referral to Access to Work where appropriate.

Personal Independence Payment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many requests from his Department for evidence to inform a personal independence payment (a) assessment and (b) mandatory reconsideration were (i) made and (ii) responded to by GPs and other professionals in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost

Personal Independence Payment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the data his Department holds on requests, decisions and outcomes for mandatory reconsideration of personal independence payments.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested can be found at the link below (third document, Tables 7A & 7B) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-april-2016

Work Capability Assessment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 10 May 2016 to Question 35981, in what proportion of cases where his Department made no request for evidence from a healthcare professional to inform a work capability assessment was the claimant awarded employment and support allowance in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 10 May 2016 to Question 35981, in what proportion of cases where his Department requested evidence from a healthcare professional to inform a work capability assessment was the claimant awarded employment and support allowance in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Children: Maintenance

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families have accessed support from the (a) Child Maintenance Service and (b) Child Support Agency in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority in each of the last three years.

Priti Patel: The attached excel file (PQ40836) provides the number of cases administered by the Child Support Agency (CSA) by (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority in each of the last three years. With regard to cases administered by the Child Maintenance Service, the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.  Notes for the spreadsheet 1. Figures rounded to nearest 102. Figures are the number of live cases.3. Figures are as at December 2013, 2014 and 2015



Excel attachment for PQ40836
(Excel SpreadSheet, 62.85 KB)

Department for Work and Pensions: West Midlands

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate has he made of the (a) number and (b) value of programmes commissioned under his Department's Dynamic Purchasing System in (i) Dudley, (ii) the Black Country and (iii) the West Midlands.

Justin Tomlinson: The number of contracts awarded under the Dynamic Purchasing System in the West Midlands (Black Country, Birmingham and Solihull, Mercia and Midland Shires Districts) is 13, with total value of £328,040.60.This includes 4 Contracts awarded within the Black Country District with a total value of £32, 514, one of which was to support Dudley claimants exclusively. The Dudley contract value was £2625.

Disability Living Allowance: Children

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of existing claimants of disability living allowance for children were re-assessed and awarded a lower rate of entitlement in the last three years for which figures are available.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of disability living allowance for children re-assessments resulted in a change in the award entitlement in the last three years for which figures are available.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available. Children are given fixed term awards and it is the responsibility of the parent to make a new application once the award ends if the child still has additional needs as a result of disability. If a relevant change of circumstances is reported then the claim could be reassessed. Although data is held on numbers of renewals and supersessions we do not hold data on outcomes from these.

Pensions: Advisory Services

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2016 to Question 38024, how many visits to the Pensions Wise website were by consumers seeking pensions advice for personal use.

Justin Tomlinson: Pension Wise is a free and impartial guidance service which helps people aged 50 and over understand what they can do with their defined contribution pension pot(s). The service does not offer regulated financial advice. The Pension Wise service is aimed at members of the public. To the end of May 2016, Pension Wise has had over 2.6 million visits to the website since launch. It does not hold information that distinguishes between visitors to its website.

Children: Maintenance

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many referrals of child maintenance debtors to credit reference agencies have been made since the power to do so was introduced in March 2015.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department is committed to the policy of referring those defaulting on their child maintenance payments to credit reference agencies. We are currently working with the credit reference agencies to develop a secure process to ensure safe and accurate data sharing. As at 17 June 2016 there are a total of 686 cases prepared and ready to share with credit reference agencies; we will disclose this information with credit reference agencies once an appropriate process is in place. In interim we continue to issue warning letters to prompt action by non-resident parents to settle their arrears, and will where appropriate consider other enforcement actions on these cases.

Disability Living Allowance: Children

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mandatory reconsiderations for re-assessments of entitlement to disability living allowance for children were (a) upheld and (b) rejected in the last three years for which figures are available.

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mandatory reconsiderations were submitted in relation to entitlement to disability living allowance for children in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The table below shows the number of Mandatory Reconsiderations received for the last three years. Disability Living Allowance 2013/142014/152015/16Child Mandatory Reconsiderations received18,54321,64727,015 The information for the second question could only be supplied at disproportionate cost. Notes: Mandatory Reconsiderations were introduced from October 2013 as part of Appeals Reform. The figures shown in the table above for 2013/14 include reconsideration clearances (pre-reform) to enable the full year to be provided. Source: Department of Work and Pensions, Disability Living Allowance Computer System This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice and should be used with caution.

Disability Living Allowance: Children

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many assessments for disability living allowance for children have been conducted in the last three years for which figures are available.

Justin Tomlinson: Disability Living Allowance Claims Managers assess child claims and make decisions on claims. The table below shows the number of decisions cleared for the last three years. 2013-142014/152015/16TotalDLA New Claims decisions made81,51795,35195,914272,782DLA Renewal decisions made54,77268,14869,436192,356DLA Supersession decisions made23,80126,43730,67280,910(Change of Circumstance)DLA Reconsideration decisions made14,75324,91327,59767,263 Total cleared includes Normal and Special Rules Claims   Source: Department of Work and Pensions, Disability Living Allowance Computer System - RDA 80123 report This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice and should be used with caution.

Assistance Dogs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) assistance dogs that are in service and (b) people who are waiting for assistance dogs; and if he will take steps to ensure that demand for assistance dogs is met.

Justin Tomlinson: We do not hold any information on either the number of assistance dogs in service or the number of people waiting to receive an assistance dog. Assistance dogs are trained and provided to those that need them, primarily through assistance dog charities. I will shortly be hosting a round table event with assistance dog charities and users, to discuss a variety of issues they have raised.

Disability Living Allowance: Children

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many re-assessments for people already receiving disability living allowance for children have been conducted in the last three years for which figures are available.

Justin Tomlinson: For Disability Living Allowance children are given fixed term awards and it is the responsibility of the parent to make a new application once the award ends if the child still has additional needs as a result of disability. If a relevant change of circumstances is reported then the claim could be reassessed. The table below shows the number of Renewal decisions cleared on an existing award and the number of Supersession decisions cleared which relate to a change of circumstance on an existing award, for the last three years. Disability Living Allowance 2013/142014/152015/16Child Renewals total clearances54,77268,14869,436Child Supersessions total clearances17,33916,27519,588Total Child Supersessions + Renewals72,11184,42389,024 Source: Department of Work and Pensions, Disability Living Allowance Computer System - RDA 80123 report This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice and should be used with caution.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Mobile Phones

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of telephone design on whether the mobile coverage detailed in Ofcom's published maps of coverage is attainable.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Ofcom had commissioned a study in 2015 into the sensitivity of mobile handsets. The study can be found here: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/other/technology-research/2015-reports/mobile-handset-testing/

Television

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish a long-term spectrum plan for broadcast television.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of moving television from broadcast spectrum to other delivery mechanisms.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The most recent assessment was made by the independent regulator, Ofcom, in their report: The Future of Free to View TV (May 2014). This is a fast moving market and as it evolves, the Government will keep these issues under review.Detailed spectrum planning is a matter for Ofcom.

Mobile Phones

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of common coverage planning for mobile services similar to that undertaken by the broadcast industry.

Mr Edward Vaizey: As part of the Government's wider work to improve digital connectivity the Government announced a package of planning reforms on 17 March to support the rollout of digital infrastructure so that UK consumers can continue to benefit from the opportunities offered by digital economy. We would encourage mobile infrastructure providers to consider sharing infrastructure wherever possible.

ICT: Data Protection

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department or Ofcom has made of the effect on consumers of data leakage (a) between applications on a consumer device and (b) between a consumer's device and application servers.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The privacy aspects of this issue are regulated under the Data Protection Act (DPA). Compliance with the DPA is regulated and enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which maintains guidance relating to the Act. ICO guidance for app developers on privacy in mobile apps is available here: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/online-and-apps/ (PDF document here:https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1596/privacy-in-mobile-apps-dp-guidance.pdf)

Nuisance Calls

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to tackle nuisance calls and text messages.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government is taking forward a range of legislative measures to tackle nuisance calls and text messages, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law. Specific actions include; strengthening the ICO's direct marketing guidance by giving it statutory status; and exploring extending the ICO’s powers of compulsory audit to more of the organisations that generate nuisance calls. This is in addition to action the Government has already taken against nuisance calls, including lowering the legal threshold for ICO action against nuisance callers and lifting the cap on fines ICO issue to companies breaking the rules. Recently a record high £200,000 fine was issued, and between the 2010 - 2015, the average fine has been £85,000 - considerably higher than in 2010, when fines were capped at £5,000.

Channel Four Television

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he met the Minister for the Cabinet Office to examine the options for extracting greater public value from Channel 4 between 4 September 2015 and 24 September 2015.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport did not meet with the Minister for the Cabinet Office to discuss Channel 4 between 4 September 2015 and 24 September 2015.

Gambling: Internet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Gambling Commission and the Remote Gambling Association in the last 12 months on the progress of the online multi-operator self-exclusion scheme.

David Evennett: Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the gov.uk website.

Gambling: Internet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the development of the multi-operator self-exclusion scheme since 17 February 2016.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether a decision has been made by the Gambling Commission, his Department and the Remote Gambling Association about who will manage the online multi-operator self-exclusion scheme when it is established.

David Evennett: All individual gambling operators are required by their licence conditions to put in place procedures for self-exclusion. In May 2015, the Gambling Commission introduced a new licence condition which also requires online gambling operators, other than certain society lottery operators, to participate in a national online self-exclusion scheme once it is developed and available. The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) is currently developing the online multi-operator self-exclusion scheme on behalf of the online sector.

Digital Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the timetable is for the Digital Economy Bill.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Digital Economy Bill will be introduced to Parliament shortly.

Pornography: Children

Mrs Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to respond to the findings of the report published by the Children's Commissioner and the NSPCC in June 2016, on a quantitative and qualitative examination of the impact of online pornography on the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of children and young people, to ensure that children are not able to view pornographic material on (a) social media and (b) any other platform.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government has noted with interest the findings of this report, and particularly that children were as likely to see pornographic content online inadvertently as they were to seek it out deliberately. This further strengthens the case for the action the Government is taking on the manifesto commitment to require age verification controls for access to online pornography, which will make it harder for children to access this content online. Our preferred approach was set out in our consultation published in February this year. Government is currently finalising our response to this consultation

Home Office

Asylum

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Immigration of 3 May 2016, Official Report, column 45WH, on asylum seeker dispersal policy, if she will publish the template letter she plans to send to leaders of local authorities on widening dispersal.

James Brokenshire: We continue to work closely with a wide range of local authorities across the UK to increase the number of areas that accommodate and support people seeking asylum and protection.I am reassured that the number of local authorities participating in the dispersal scheme continues to increase. I intend therefore only to write to specific local authority leaders if progress is unsatisfactory.

Undocumented Migrants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many carrier liability charges were issued to commercial transport firms, airlines, ferry companies and other operators for transporting illegal immigrants into the UK in total by (a) port and (b) firm in each of the last seven years.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 09 June 2016



Penalties are issued for inadequately documented arrivals and it would not be known at that stage whether the passenger was an illegal immigrant.

Deportation

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many overstayers have (a) been removed and (b) voluntarily deported as a result of action taken by Capita in each month since October 2012; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Capita do not remove individuals from the UK. The scope of the contract is one of contact management, where Capita encourage individuals to depart voluntarily and in compliance with the immigration rules.Since the beginning of the contract in 2012 to Quarter 1 2016, Capita has recorded 143,400 departures.

Travel Restrictions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been refused permission to board flights to the UK as a result of checks carried out by airlines in each of the last seven years.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 13 June 2016



Commercial airlines are not required to notify government every time a check conducted by them results in a refusal to allow an individual to board a flight. Consequently, the Home Office does not hold this information.

Police: Job Satisfaction

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the morale of police officers (a) nationally and (b) at force level; and if she will make a statement.

Mike Penning: The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the morale of police officers. It is the responsibility of chief officers - supported by the College of Policing - to ensure good management systems are in place to support officers in their work. It is ultimately a matter for chief constables and police and crime commissioners to monitor the morale and engagement levels of their workforce.The Government recognises the importance of police welfare- in October 2014 we allocated £10m to help support emergency services personnel and volunteers, focused on mental health, physical recuperation and bereavement support for those who need it.£4m was allocated to the charity Mind specifically for mental health issues to cover financial years 2014/15 and 2015/16.

Police

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) attract, recruit and retain high-quality police officers and (b) offer such officers career development.

Mike Penning: The Government?s reforms to policing are designed to create a more capable, flexible and professional workforce. Central to these reforms was the establishment of the College of Policing as the professional body for policing, charged with setting standards and further professionalising the police.Recruitment to the police is managed within a national application, assessment and selection framework maintained by the College. Within this remit the College is delivering a number of major pieces of work including a review of initial police recruitment, proposals for a new police educational qualification framework and implementing the recommendations of its 2014 Leadership Review.These reforms, along with innovative schemes such as Direct Entry and Police Now, focus on recognising and developing the skills of existing officers, as well as ensuring that policing can continue to attract the brightest and best new recruits.

Police: Staff

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of staffing levels in Police Public Protection Units at (a) UK and (b) force level.

Mike Penning: Decisions on the size, composition and deployment of a police force's workforce are operational matters for individual chief constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.HMIC's progress report on the police response to domestic abuse, published in December 2015, found that forces have continued largely to protect their dedicated teams or other resources that focus on public protection work.

Asylum: Religious Freedom

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that asylum caseworkers are trained to assess the claims of people who are seeking asylum on the grounds of persecution relating to religion or belief.

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications to her policies of the findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on International Freedom of Religion or Belief's report entitled, Fleeing Persecution: Asylum Claims in the UK on Religious Freedom Grounds, published in June 2016; and what plans she has to implement the recommendations of that report.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office carefully considers all asylum claims on their individual merits, including claims based on religious persecution. We grant protection to those who genuinely need it in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).Published guidance on the interviewing and consideration of asylum claims is regularly reviewed and takes into consideration the views of stakeholders, including religious groups. The current training and support available for asylum caseworkers includes a UNHCR endorsed Foundation Training Programme. This, and follow-on courses, covers all aspects of the asylum interview and decision making process, including the assessment of credibility and country information in religious based claims. Real-life case studies and role-play are used throughout the training programme to reinforce knowledge and understanding of the issues.We are currently carefully considering the APPG report and it's recommendations and will provide a response in due course.

Islamic State: British Nationals Abroad

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her most recent estimate is of the number of UK citizens who have travelled to fight with Daesh in Syria and Iraq; and how many such persons have since returned to the UK.

Mr John Hayes: Approximately 850 UK linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to engage with the Syrian conflict. We estimate that just under half of those have returned and approximately 15% are deceased.

Asylum: Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to implement the recommendations of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, entitled Fleeing Prosecution: Asylum claims in the UK on Religious Freedom Grounds.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to improve the training and support caseworkers receive on asylum claims in the UK on grounds of religious persecution.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office carefully considers all asylum claims on their individual merits, including claims based on religious persecution. We grant protection to those who genuinely need it in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).Published guidance on the interviewing and consideration of asylum claims is regularly reviewed and takes into consideration the views of stakeholders, including religious groups. The current training and support available for asylum caseworkers includes a UNHCR endorsed Foundation Training Programme. This, and follow-on courses, covers all aspects of the asylum interview and decision making process, including the assessment of credibility and country information in religious based claims. Real-life case studies and role-play are used throughout the training programme to reinforce knowledge and understanding of the issues.We are currently carefully considering the APPG report and its recommendations and will provide a response in due course.

Police: Emergency Calls

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the number of police call-outs of reductions in staffing in (a) mental health units, (b) hospitals and (c) social care services.

Mike Penning: Decisions on the deployment of a police force’s workforce in relation to local requirements are operational matters for individual chief constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners. However, a range of initiatives at both local and national level including the Crisis Care Concordat partnership arrangements and street triage scheme have already helped to reduce inappropriate mental health demands on the police.The use of police cells in England as places of safety under the Mental Health Act, for example, reduced from 8,667 instances in 2011/12 to 3,996 in 2014/15. Legislative changes being introduced in the Policing and Crime Bill currently before Parliament, to prohibit the use of cells as places of safety for children and further limit their use for adults, as well as reductions in detention periods, will ensure progress in maintained.In addition, the Government has committed to invest an additional £1 billion in mental health services by 2020 to ensure improved mental health support in the community and for people in Accident and Emergency, as well as crisis response provision and treatment options for both adults and children. In the last Autumn Statement, the Government also gave local authorities access to up to £3.5 billion of ne support for social care per year by 2019/20.

Members

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the request of the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey for an urgent meeting on behalf of his constituents as requested by that hon. Member on 30 May 2016.

James Brokenshire: I have arranged to meet the Honourable Gentleman.

Police

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of provision of frontline police officers to ensure public safety; what steps she is taking to monitor that provision; and if she will make a statement.

Mike Penning: Decisions on the size, composition and deployment of a police force’s workforce are operational matters for individual chief constables, taking account of local needs and circumstances.Overall, the Government delivered a good settlement for policing through last year’s Spending Review, protecting overall police spending in real terms over the course of the Spending Review period, when local income is taken into account – an increase of up to £900 million in cash terms by 2019/20.The public should therefore be in no doubt that the police will have the resources they need to keep the public safe and to respond to new threats rapidly and effectively.

Motorcycles: Road Traffic Offences

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local police forces have sufficient resources and powers to deal with the misuse of scrambler bikes on public roads.

Mike Penning: The police already have the power under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize vehicles, including motorcycles. This can be as a result of using a vehicle in a careless and inconsiderate manner, contrary to the Road Traffic Act 1988, and in a manner causing alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public.How the police enforce the law and how they deploy their available resources is the responsibility of individual Chief Officers, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.

Football: Hooliganism

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of convicted football hooligans who have surrendered their passports (a) voluntarily and (b) otherwise in each of the last five years.

Mike Penning: We do not maintain records that distinguish between the numbers of passports surrendered voluntarily or otherwise by individuals subject to Football Banning Orders. A criminal conviction is not always required before a person becomes subject to a Football Banning Order. The police or Crown Prosecution Service may apply to the court for such an Order against an individual where there is evidence that the individual has caused or contributed to violence or disorder in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, and that making a banning order would help to prevent violence or disorder at or in connection with a regulated football match.Individuals subject to Football Banning Orders are required to surrender their passport to the police during a control period set to cover an international football tournament or an individual overseas match. The control period for the 2016 European Championship is from 31 May to 10 July 2016, and as of 15 June, 1,393 passports had been accounted for which is 99% of passports held by those who were subject to Football Banning Orders at the start of the tournament.During the control period for the 2012 European Championship, 1,821 passports were accounted for which amounted to 95% of those subject to orders and who had a passport. In the control period for the 2014 World Cup, 1,430 passports were accounted for which amounted to 98% of those with orders who had passports.

Money Laundering

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Government plans to respond to the consultation on unexplained wealth orders.

Mr John Hayes: In the Action Plan for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance, published on 21 April, the Government sought the views of respondents on whether unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) should be implemented in the UK, as part of the wider consultation on a range of proposals for tackling these crimes. UWOs would be used to require an individual to explain to the court the origin of his or her assets. This can provide critical information on which law enforcement agencies can build their case.The Action Plan also sought the views of respondents on whether a new forfeiture power should be created to enable the forfeiture of any assets for which a satisfactory explanation cannot be given to the court. The consultation closed on 2 June, and the Government is currently considering the responses, and engaging with public and private stakeholders to gather wider views. The response to the consultation will be published in due course.

Common Travel Area

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings she and ministers of her Department have had with their Irish counterparts on the Common Travel Area arrangements since 2010.

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms there are to support discussions between members of the Common Travel Area on the operation of that area.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers and Officials have regular contact with all Common Travel Area (CTA) members and there continues to be excellent government and operational level co-operation. A Joint Ministerial Statement was signed in 2011 by Ireland and the UK, setting out planned cooperation on securing the external border of the CTA. A data-sharing Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Home Secretary and the Republic of Ireland's Minister for Justice and Equality in October 2014. There is a range of bilateral and multilateral forums for these discussions, including the CTA Forum and the British-Irish Council.

Vetting: Greater London

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service were made by people living in London in the last 12 months.

Karen Bradley: The total number of certificates issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service to applicants with a London postcode in the year ending 31 May 2016 was 720,832.

Borders: Personal Records

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many persons of interest have been found to have left the UK when it has not been possible to check and act upon Advance Passenger Information in real-time since April 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of Advance Passenger Information was checked and acted upon in real-time for passengers leaving the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: This information is not centrally held. Since April 2015, Advanced Passenger Information has been provided by international commercial air, sea and rail carriers to Border Force in advance of passenger travel from the UK. This data is used to identify known or suspected criminals and where appropriate is acted upon in real time by Border Force or another law enforcement partner.

Police: Road Traffic Control

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many road policing officers there have been in each year since 2010.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the relationship between the number of road policing officers and the number of road offences.

Mike Penning: The number of full time equivalent police officers employed in traffic policing roles as at 31 March in each year since 2010 is provided in the table. Officers with multiple responsibilities are recorded under their primary function. Data for 31 March 2015 (the latest period for which figures are available) can also be found in the supplementary tables of the July 2015 police workforce statistics publication:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/444537/police-workforce-supptabs-mar15.ods Number of full time equivalent police officers within traffic policing functions1,2,3As at 31 March:  2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 England and Wales5,6355,3164,8684,6754,3565,220   1. This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been presented to the nearest whole number.2. Officers with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. This may explain some variability between years.3. Figures have been confirmed by all police forces after collection and before publication each year.4. Reclassification of roles within a force can lead to fluctuations in the number of officers in a particular role. This is particularly apparent between 2014 and 2015.   Reclassification of roles within a force can lead to fluctuations in the number of officers in a particular role. This is particularly apparent between 2014 and 2015. Many motoring offences are non-notifiable, and so forces are not required to provide data on these to the Home Office. Therefore data on the total number of road offences is not held centrally. The Home Office publishes data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences in the annual police powers and procedures publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2015-data-tablesAs HMIC has made clear, there is no simple link between police numbers and crime levels, between numbers and the visibility of police in the community, or between numbers and the quality of service provided.Decisions on the size and composition of the police workforce are operational matters for Chief Officers working with their Police and Crime Commissioners and taking into account local priorities.



PQ 40656/40730 - Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 28.5 KB)

Visas

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who overstayed their visa have been identified leaving the UK in each month since 8 April 2015; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The data requested is not currently available. My Department is considering the use of exit checks data for statistical reporting purposes. Any data published then will be subject to data assurance standards.

Mossack Fonseca

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on whether the National Crime Agency plans to investigate the UK office of the law firm Mossack Fonesca.

Mr John Hayes: On 10 April 2016 the Prime Minister announced a new cross-agency taskforce to obtain, analyse and take action on the information that has been made available from Mossack Fonseca and to take rapid action on any form of illegality that emerges.A number of investigations are underway, and the taskforce, which is led by the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue & Customs, and which is accountable to the Home Secretary and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will report on its progress later this year.

Borders: Personal Records

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training and assistance the UK Border Force provides to transport carriers and port operators who are required to collect Advance Passenger Information to identify false documents; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Border Force has worked closely with carriers and port operators to ensure that Exit Checks are carried out in accordance with Home Office requirements.Immigration Enforcement's Risk and Liaison Overseas Network (RALON) has staff in key locations providing training and support for airlines and their handling agents operating services to the UK. Training covers UK visa requirements, security safeguards in passports, national identity cards, travel documents and visas, and how to identify cases of impersonation. In addition to the safeguards described above, RALON staff also raise awareness of current trends or specific types of abuse that the UK is encountering.

Asylum: Children

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of minors in Calais who are eligible to claim asylum in the UK under the Dublin III arrangements for family reunion.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 27 June 2016



A project to identify and protect vulnerable people in the camps in Calais is being delivered by a French non-government organistation, France Terre D'Asile (FDTA). FDTA finds potential victims of trafficking and exploitation (including children), and directs them to existing protection, support and advice within France. The managment of asylum claims and the protection of children in Calais is primarily a matter for the French authorities but the UK has contributed £530,000 towards the costs of this project, which launched formally in December 2015.The FDTA has carried out a survey of children in the camps in the Calais area, which indentified, within the scope of the survey, 43 children with claimed family links to the UK. We are working closely with the French Goverment, UNHCR and FDTA to ensure that where family links are established, transfers take place efficiently under the Dublin Regulation.

Asylum: Children

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum-seeking minors in France with family members in the UK.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Children

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officials of her Department are on secondment in France to assist with the identification of potential requests for the UK to take charge of an asylum-seeking child in France.

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration and asylum officials of her Department have been seconded to (a) Greece, (b) Italy and (c) France since the beginning of May 2016.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 27 June 2016



We have a number of officials already working on migration matters in France, Greece and Italy. A number of deployments to France from the Home Office and Foreign Office are supporting joint efforts with France to ensure Dublin Regulation transfers are carried out effectively and efficiently. Our support included the secondment of a UK asylum expert to the Dublin unit in France to assist and facilitate the improvement of all stages of the process of identifying, protecting and transferring relevant cases to the UK. A team of Home Office officials are part of the joint communications programme in Calais and there are weekly meetings between the heads of the UK and French Dublin Units. There is a Home Official seconded on a bi-lateral basis to the Italian Dublin Unit and we are about to second a UK official to Greece as additional support for Dublin family transfers to the UK.Since May we have also deployed asylum experts to support hotspots and Dublin units in both Greece and Italy under the European Asylum Support Office and as notified in my statement of 21 April, HCWS687, up to 75 UK expert personnel will be deployed to Greece to support implementation of the EU-Turkey Migration Agreement. These officials are being deployed in stages. We are considering if we need to deploy any additional resource to assist with the family reunification of children.

Visas: Overseas Students

Ian Blackford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals who were granted student visas before the removal of the post-study work visa are still accredited as students in the UK.

James Brokenshire: This information is not readily available. Providing the information requested would incur a disproportionate cost.

Human Trafficking: Children

Mr David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 May 2016 to Question 36436, what progress she has made on (a) reflecting on the recommendations of other parties on the rollout of independent child trafficking advocates and (b) that rollout.

Karen Bradley: The Government is committed to introducing appropriate support for trafficked children. It is important we get these structures right, given the significant risks to these children. We are working with a broad range of interested parties as well as Parliamentarians to further develop an approach so that we deliver an improved service for trafficked children. I will update Parliament in due course.

Vetting

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was to process Disclosure and Barring Service checks for (a) standard and (b) enhanced disclosures between 1 January and 31 March 2016.

James Brokenshire: The average time taken to process Disclosure checks between 1 January and 31 March 2016 for (a) Standard was 6 days and (b) Enhanced was 16 days.

Missing Persons: Children

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested and charged with offences relating to girls under 18 years of age reported as missing to the police in each year from 1998 to 2005.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many girls under 18 years of age were reported missing in each year from 1998 to 2005; how many of those girls were subsequently found; and how many investigations into those girls' cases are ongoing.

James Brokenshire: The information in this request is held by individual police forces.Between 1998 and 2005, the Metropolitan Police Service was responsible for the Missing Persons Bureau, but did not publish reports detailing the number of missing cases. In 2013, the function was transferred to the National Crime Agency to improve the service offered to policing in respect of the handling of missing person and unidentified investigations.The National Crime Agency publishes annual statistics on Missing Persons which includes missing children http://missingpersons.police.uk.The last published report shows that in 2014/15 there were 112,252 missing persons incidents involving children. Of these, the report finds that 54% of these missing incidents involved female children under the age of 18.

HM Treasury

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Gordon Henderson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce the amount of correspondence not yet dealt with at the HM Revenue and Customs Stamp Duty office.

Mr David Gauke: This Government invested in HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Stamp Taxes business unit at Budget 2016 to increase capacity in relation to the new higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on additional properties. In order to reduce volumes of correspondence HMRC is reviewing guidance to cover those areas where substantial correspondence has been generated. Additional resources have been put into call handling at HMRC’s Stamp Taxes helpline, providing an improved customer service and aiming to reduce follow-up correspondence.

National Savings and Investments: Offshoring

Chris Stephens: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2016 to Question 38066, what the (a) number, (b) current responsibilities and (c) current locations are of any National Savings and Investment roles undertaken by employees of Atos which are planned to be off-shored.

Harriett Baldwin: NS&I and Atos regularly review the mix of where roles are undertaken so as to best meet the needs of the business. There are no current plans to move roles in the UK undertaken by employees of Atos off-shore.

Supported Housing

Peter Aldous: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the effect on the public purse of the effects on the life chances of residents of the services and support provided through supported housing; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: The Treasury has made no formal estimate of the impact on the public finances resulting from the effects of supported housing provision on the life chances of residents. However, analysis of the financial benefits of capital investment in specialist housing has previously been commissioned by the Homes and Communities Agency: Financial benefits of investment in specialist housing for vulnerable and older people (2010). This includes analysis of the impact of capital funding for specialist housing on the usage and associated costs of wider public services, including primary and secondary healthcare, social care, the criminal justice system, and the benefits system. The Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Communities and Local Government are currently conducting an evidence review of the supported housing sector, which will report shortly.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Rob Marris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 18 January 2016 to Question 20373, what criteria he has used to assess the level of competitiveness in the motor insurance market.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government is committed to ensuring that insurance markets operate on the basis of fair and open competition. The Government has established the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to promote competition for the benefit of consumers and investigates any issues that may arise in this respect, including in insurance markets. In 2014, the CMA investigated the competitiveness of the UK private motor insurance. It found evidence that there was strong price competition for motor insurance sold via price comparison websites (PCWs), which are responsible for over half of insurers’ new motor insurance business, and that PCWs had increased competition between private motor insurance providers overall. Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) data on “net combined ratios” of motor insurers provides further indication that there is strong competition in the private motor insurance market. The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills also found that the private motor insurance has high switching rates compared to other markets, providing another indicator of strong competition.

Culture: Bradford

Judith Cummins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to support the expansion of cultural infrastructure in Bradford as part of the Northern Powerhouse policy initiative.

Greg Hands: We are committed to investment in cultural infrastructure in the Northern Powerhouse, including in Bradford. For example, Arts Council England has provided £1m to support the Yorkshire Festival, which runs from 16 June to 3 July in various locations across Yorkshire, including Bradford. In addition, we are currently inviting bids from cities to host the Great Exhibition North. This will celebrate the art, design and culture of the North and the £15m Legacy Fund will pave the way for further cultural investment in the Northern Powerhouse.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Correspondence

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she plans to respond to the letter of 3 June 2016, from offshore wind companies to EU energy ministers in the June EU Energy Council.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 14 June 2016



The Government has already set out long term visibility and certainty for the offshore wind industry in the UK, which is the largest market in the world. In November last year, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that the UK could support up to 10GW of new offshore wind in the 2020s subject to costs continuing to fall. In Budget 2016 the Government announced that it will auction Contracts for Difference of up to £730 million this Parliament for up to 4GW of offshore wind and other less established renewables, with a first auction of £290 million. Support for offshore wind will be capped initially at £105/MWh (in 2011-12 prices), falling to £85/MWh for projects commissioning by 2026.

Offshore Industry: Helicopters

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent assessment she has made of the effect on the UK offshore oil and gas industry workforce of the withdrawal of the Super Puma airframes from commercial operation.

Andrea Leadsom: The withdrawal from service of most of the Super Puma helicopter models followed the tragic crash in Norway with the loss of 13 lives on 29 April this year. We are confident that the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board will determine the cause of the crash and that the UK regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, will then decide on the appropriate longer term action to take. It was entirely appropriate for the relevant Super Puma models to be immediately withdrawn from service by the CAA in the light of the circumstances of the accident, and this should have given assurance to the UK offshore oil and gas industry workforce about the regulatory controls in place. Oil and Gas UK, the main trade association for the industry, has formed a Helicopter Resilience Group with members from industry to discuss how logistics can be managed more effectively.

Energy Supply

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the proportion of UK energy consumption that was supplied by other countries in each of the last 10 years.

Andrea Leadsom: The UK’s net import dependency is published in DECC’s Energy Trends table 1.3, and is reproduced below: Import dependence200621.3%200720.6%200826.3%200927.0%201028.6%201136.7%201243.1%201347.1%201446.2%201538.6%Source: DECC Energy Trends, March 2015 In 2015, the UK’s net imports of 79.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent accounted for 38.6% of the UK’s primary consumption of energy.

Energy Supply

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the proportion of UK energy consumption which will be supplied from other countries in each of the next five years.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not produce projections of the proportion of UK total energy consumption which will be supplied from other countries. However, the Oil and Gas Authority publishes projections of UK oil and gas import dependency (defined as net oil and gas imports as a percentage of UK oil and gas demand).1 These projections for 2016-2021 are given in the following table. YearOil and Gas Import dependency (%)201643%201744%201844%201945%202046%202150% [1] Oil and Gas Authority (February 2016), Production Projections https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/503852/OGA_production_projections_-_February_2016.pdf

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will require EDF Energy to restore the land cleared and prepared for the construction of the Hinkley C nuclear plant to its previous condition in the event of the EDF Board deciding not to take a Final Investment Decision on the plant.

Andrea Leadsom: Planning permission for site preparation works at Hinkley Point C was granted by the local planning authority, West Somerset Council under the Town and Country Planning Act (1990) and this included conditions and planning obligations on the circumstances and arrangements for site reinstatement.

Carbon Sequestration

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the implications for Government policy on carbon capture and storage (CCS) are of the decision not to proceed with the CCS Commercialisation Commission.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government has not closed the door on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and believes it has a potentially important role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK. We are clear that CCS is currently too expensive and its costs must come down. We continue to work with wider industry to help develop CCS cost efficiently in the UK, including through the joint Government-industry CCS Development Forum, which I co-chair. We will set out our approach to CCS in due course, informed by the findings from Lord Oxburgh’s CCS Advisory Group.

Energy: Imports

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the cost of energy imports by the UK in each of the last five years.

Andrea Leadsom: The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of the value of trade according to internationally agreed classifications (SITC), with category 3 comprising most energy products (coal, crude oil, oil products, gas and electricity). This data is republished by DECC in table G7 of DUKES, and shows estimates of the value of energy trade. The table is reproduced below: £billionYearImportsExportsNet imports201161.842.719.1201265.343.721.6201361.542.718.7201453.036.017.0201537.924.013.9

Energy: Competition

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she plans to make a statement to the House on the publication of the final report into the energy market from the Competition and Markets Authority.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department will be providing a Government response to the Competition and Market Authority’s final publication on the energy market in due course.

Energy: Competition

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what representations officials, advisers and Ministers in her Department made to the Competition and Markets Authority on the date of publication of its final report on the energy market.

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she or any of her ministerial colleagues were consulted by the Competition and Markets Authority on the date on which it plans to publish its investigation into the energy market.

Andrea Leadsom: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are an independent body and the date of publication of their reports is their decision. Officials, Advisors and Ministers in the Department have not made any representations to the CMA, and the CMA have not consulted Ministers or advisors, on the date of the publication of this report. Officials in my Department have discussed with the CMA their intended date of publication for final report on the energy market to inform the Department’s own planning.

Oil: Exploration

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 39080, if she will make it her  policy to lay the Committee on Climate Change report on the compatibility of UK onshore petroleum with meeting UK carbon budgets and the Government's response before Parliament prior to any decision is taken to reverse (a) the planning decision against fracking made by Lancashire County Council and (b) any other planning decisions that are made by local authorities concerning the extraction of shale gas.

Andrea Leadsom: Further to the Answer to Question 39080, we are continuing to consider the report and will lay it before Parliament with our response in due course.

Biofuels

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what consideration she has given to extending the support of biomass after 2027 to treat it equally with other low-carbon technologies.

Andrea Leadsom: We see the use of conversions of coal to biomass as a transitional technology. It has played a useful role in decarbonising the grid while other, lower carbon forms of energy generation, such as offshore wind continue to develop and lower their costs. Government support for biomass conversions are restricted to 2027 under the Renewables Obligation and Contract for Difference, however all other biomass technologies are eligible for the full 15 year life of the contract. We have no current plans to change those dates.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39039, whether she will place the results of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary May 2015 Wellbeing Survey in the Library.

Andrea Leadsom: The Civil Nuclear Constabulary May 2015 Wellbeing Survey is a document owned by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. It’s a matter for the CNC whether to publish the survey.

Coal Authority: Reviews

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when her Department plans to publish the terms of reference for its Triennial Review of the Coal Authority; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom: The next review of the Coal Authority will take place towards the end of the current Parliament at a time to be confirmed. It will be based on guidance for tailored reviews of public bodies published in March 2016 that contains the terms of reference and supersedes the Triennial Review guidance. A copy of the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tailored-reviews-of-public-bodies-guidance

Biofuels

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 12 May 2016 to Question 36652 on biofuel, whether her Department has undertaken to consider whether it is appropriate for biomass conversions to compete alongside offshore wind or the allocation pot for established technologies.

Andrea Leadsom: We have not set out our plans in respect of biomass conversions. We will set out more details in relation to future Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation rounds in due course.

Nuclear Power: Safety

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of a vote to leave the EU on the involvement of UK organisations in (a) the European Safeguards Research and Development Association and (b) the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group.

Amber Rudd: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 27 June 2016.The correct answer should have been:

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government's position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement given by the Prime Minister on 24 June:https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/eu-referendum-outcome-pm-statement-24-june-2016.

Amber Rudd: At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government's position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement given by the Prime Minister on 24 June:https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/eu-referendum-outcome-pm-statement-24-june-2016.

Energy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the European Council decision of October 2014 on a Climate and Energy Policy Framework to set EU-wide energy targets for 2030, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of a vote to leave the EU on the UK (a) reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2030, (b) making the target for renewable energy at least 27 per cent and (c) meeting the indicative energy efficiency target of at least 27 per cent.

Amber Rudd: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement given by the Prime Minister on 24 June:https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/eu-referendum-outcome-pm-statement-24-june-2016.

Cabinet Office

Breast Cancer

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many women aged under 50 died as a result of breast cancer in England in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many women died as a result of breast cancer in England in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Death from Breast Cancer
(PDF Document, 108.95 KB)

Carbon Emissions

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Clean Growth have discussed the fifth carbon budget since November 2015; and which departments have been involved in those meetings.

Mr Oliver Letwin: I chair an inter-ministerial group on Clean Growth, which considers issues relating to air quality and de-carbonisation, where these have a cross-departmental aspect. The group meets as and when required and its members include ministers and officials from the relevant departments, including Defra, DECC, DfT, DCLG and BIS.To protect the integrity of the policy-making progress, we do not comment on the specific timing or agendas of cabinet committees or inter-ministerial groups.

Corruption

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Anti-Corruption Champion is paid a salary for that role.

Matthew Hancock: The Anti-Corruption Champion is not paid a salary for that role.

Corruption

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what processes are in place for strengthening partnerships between law enforcement agencies in the UK and elsewhere in order to tackle international corruption.

Matthew Hancock: UK law enforcement agencies​ already have strong collaborative partnerships with many overseas authorities which are valuable in supporting and developing their investigations into international corruption. The London Anti-Corruption Summit in May galvanised further efforts to improve international cooperation.At the Summit, the PM announced that the UK will host a new International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC) to help law enforcement investigators work together effectively across multiple jurisdictions, ending the impunity often associated with grand corruption. We are working with international partners towards making the IACCC operational by April 2017.The UK also committed to supporting the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Financial Intelligence Units to support the sharing of information with other countries. This will help to improve the effectiveness of the international response to international money-laundering. We are also working with other countries to establish a Global Forum for Asset Recovery.Initiatives to enhance transparency over beneficial ownership information will also support international law enforcement cooperation in tackling international corruption. This includes the initiative on the automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information between jurisdictions, as well as the UK's new public register of persons of significant control, (which goes live this month) and the agreements reached with relevant Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies to grant UK law enforcement access to beneficial ownership information there.

Corruption

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions his Department had with business and professional services companies before the Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May 2016.

Matthew Hancock: Ahead of the Anti-Corruption Summit, Cabinet Office and a number of other government departments engaged with a wide range of businesses, including professional service companies, to understand their views, promote best practice and encourage their support for the objectives of the Summit.A number of business leaders attended the Summit, as well as the Tackling Corruption Together conference which was organised by civil society and business on 11 May. A group of professional services companies published a statement on 11 May in which they commit to maintaining robust procedures when taking on new clients and​ building ​a culture​, through education and training,​ that allows no space for corruption.

Corruption

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there is a designated team of staff in his Department working solely on anti-corruption issues.

Matthew Hancock: Yes.

Anti-corruption Ministerial Group

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the terms of reference for the Inter-Ministerial Group on Anti-Corruption.

Matthew Hancock: This is available on www.gov.uk

Companies: Ownership

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who is leading the negotiations with the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies on sharing beneficial ownership information.

Matthew Hancock: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office leads on discussions with the Overseas Territories. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the constitutional relationship with the Crown Dependencies.Discussions on beneficial ownership information-sharing, with both the OTs and CDs, has involved a range of departments, including FCO, MoJ, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office and law enforcement authorities.

Charity Commission: Public Appointments

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to appoint a new Charity Commissioner to replace Peter Clarke.

Mr Rob Wilson: We are currently recruiting three new board members for the Charity Commission in England and Wales, including a replacement for Peter Clarke. We are specifically seeking skills and experience in the charity sector, in law enforcement and in IT. The posts were opened for applications in early June and we intend to appoint as soon as this process is successfully concluded. The recruitment process follows the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies and its core principles of merit, openness and fairness.

Lobbying

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has discussed with the devolved administrations inserting the new anti-lobbying clause into their government grants.

Matthew Hancock: Officials in the Cabinet Office Grants Efficiency Programme team held preliminary discussions with the devolved administrations as part of the implementation of the grants clause. However, as announced on 27 April, the implementation of the clause has been paused pending a review of the representations made and we will take a decision on the form of the clause following this review. Revised guidance will be published in due course.

Charity Commission: Public Appointments

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take to ensure the independence and neutrality of the Charity Commission Board when reappointing commissioners whose terms are due to end.

Mr Rob Wilson: By law, the Charity Commission for England and Wales is not subject to Ministerial direction or control, ensuring its operational independence. Several factors are considered in making appointments and reappointments to the Charity Commission board. These include taking account of the mix of skills and experience of the board as a whole, along with any conflicts of interest and any declarable political activity. For reappointments the performance of the relevant board member is also considered. Appointments and reappointments to the Charity Commission’s board are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many gamma interferon tests for bovine TB were conducted in the (a) high risk area, (b) low risk area and (c) edge area of England in each year between 2009 and 2015.

George Eustice: This information is publicly available on the GOV.UK website. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-testing-in-cattle.

Pigmeat: China

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects her Department to have collated and put in a format ready to send all the information required by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China following its inspections of UK pig trotter production plants in April 2015.

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to have obtained all the information required by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China for the final response to the inspection report in connection with the export of pig trotters to China.

George Eustice: We are working with the UK pork industry to collate the necessary data and information required by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China, which will be submitted by the end of June. The UK Agriculture, Food and Drink Counsellor, based in Beijing, has met with the Chinese authorities to raise the importance of this agreement and press for expeditious consideration of the UK application to allow exports of UK pigs’ trotters to commence as soon as possible.

Pigmeat: China

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the British delegation to the G20 agriculture ministers' meeting held on 3 June 2016 in China raised with its Chinese counterparts the matter of the continued delay to the implementation of the protocol allowing pig trotters to be exported from the UK to China.

George Eustice: The importance of reaching agreement for the export of UK pigs’ trotters to China has been raised at the highest levels. The UK Agriculture, Food and Drink Counsellor, based in Beijing, continues to meet with the Chinese authorities to raise the importance of this agreement and press for expeditious consideration of the UK application to allow exports of UK pigs’ trotters to commence as soon as possible.

Animal Products: Imports

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to prohibit the import of trophies from any CITES  Appendix I or Appendix II listed species.

Rory Stewart: Under international rules set by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a hunting trophy from a species listed on Appendix I or Appendix II of the Convention can be exported only if the exporting country is satisfied that the hunt was both legal and sustainable. Importing controls are implemented at an EU-wide level and the UK works with other EU Member States to agree a collective approach. In light of growing concerns about the sustainability of the hunting of some species, stricter controls on the import of hunting trophies of six species, including lions and African elephants, have been introduced. As a result, the import of hunting trophies of certain species from certain countries is currently prohibited. The Government considers that properly managed, legal and sustainable trophy hunting can play a part in species conservation efforts, including by providing an important source of funding for conservation in some countries. In view of this, we have no plans to introduce legislation banning the import of all trophies of Appendix I and II species. We will however continue to monitor the impact of trophy hunting and will work to put in place greater protection, including prohibiting imports, if this is shown to be needed. For example, in recognition of the real concerns about the impact of trophy hunting on lion conservation, I announced in Parliament on 24 November 2015 that the Government will ban lion trophy imports by the end of 2017 unless there are improvements in the way hunting takes place in certain countries, judged against strict criteria. We will work with our European and international partners, and experts in the field, to reach a common approach to this issue.

Cetaceans: Beaches

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39933, how much funding has been allocated to anti-beaching initiatives; and which countries have been identified as containing beaching hotspots.

George Eustice: The UK Government does not fund ‘anti-beaching’ initiatives. However, it does fund the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, the work of which is crucial in providing us with a better understanding of the general health of cetaceans in UK waters and the issues that affect them.We are not aware of any countries identified as having ‘beaching hotspots’.

Department of Health

General Practitioners: Finance

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the budget is for GP services in (a) Southampton, (b) NHS West London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), (c) NHS North Manchester CCG and (d) West Hampshire CCG in 2016-17.

Alistair Burt: The budget for general practitioner services in NHS Southampton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS West London CCG, NHS North Manchester CCG and West Hampshire CCG for 2016-17 is published in the primary care medical allocations data and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/pc-medical-allocations.pdf (Source: NHS England)

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of spending on GP services in (a) Southampton City and (b) other clinical commissioning group areas with similar levels of deprivation has been allocated to drug and alcohol abuse services in 2016-17.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of spending on GP services in (a) Southampton and (b) other clinical commissioning group areas with similar levels of deprivation has been allocated to teenage pregnancy services in 2016-17.

Alistair Burt: NHS England funding allocation for general practice for the Southampton Clinical Commissioning Group in 2016-17 is £32,447 million. This data is published here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/pc-medical-allocations.pdf Sexual health and drug and alcohol treatment services are commissioned by local authorities as part of their public health responsibilities. The decision on how much is actually spent on local public health services rests with individual authorities, taking account of local needs and priorities. Local authorities are best-placed to make an assessment of local needs, prioritise and deploy resources accordingly. Information on spending on teenage pregnancy services and drug and alcohol abuse services in 2016-17 is not available. Local authority reported information on spend against specified categories of public health is available for the years 2013-14 and 2014-15 at the web address below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing

Breast Cancer: Mortality Rates

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to improve breast cancer survival rates for women in England.

Jane Ellison: The independent Cancer Taskforce published its report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020, in July last year, recommending improvements across the cancer patient pathway, including for breast cancer. An implementation plan, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: Taking the strategy forward, was published on 12 May 2016 and we hope to see great progress as it is delivered. On breast cancer specifically, the cancer strategy recommended that we: - ensure that chemo-prevention is being used appropriately to reduce the risk of developing breast cancers, particularly in younger women at high risk of developing cancer;- commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop updated guidelines for adjuvant treatment for breast cancer, including the use of bisphosphonates and aromatase inhibitors to prevent secondary cancers in women previously treated for early stage breast cancer;- ensure that all patients treated for cancer are given advice on how best to manage their risk level and ensure that the risk of developing secondary cancers is reduced, as well as ensuring that there is a fast and efficient route back into treatment for patients who suffer recurrence; and- ensure that, by 2020, the 280,000 people diagnosed with cancer every year will benefit from a tailored recovery package. The packages will be individually designed to help each person, live well beyond cancer, including psychological and social support for those whose cancer recurs, or who live for a long time with cancer or its consequences, as is often the case in women with secondary breast cancer. More generally on breast cancer: - in the Budget earlier this year, the Chancellor announced that Breast Cancer Care is to receive a £1 million Tampon Tax Fund gift to support women at the end of treatment;- we have run two national Be Clear on Cancer campaigns to raise awareness of the symptoms of breast cancer in women aged over 70; and- breast screening saves an estimated 1,300 lives a year in the United Kingdom. A major randomised controlled trial is testing whether extending breast screening to women aged 47-49 and 71-73 will save more lives. Over two million women have been randomised into the trial, and results are expected in the early 2020s.

Vaccination

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will next report to his Department on the cost-effectiveness framework for vaccinations.

Jane Ellison: Upon the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the Department commissioned the Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurement (CEMIPP) Review. The Government expects to receive the CEMIPP report later this summer.

NHS: Sustainable Development

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether meeting notes, correspondence and plans produced by the Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprint leadership teams are included within the remit of clinical commissioning groups in their capacity as public authorities for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will place in the Library a list of contacts for each footprint area.

George Freeman: Every health and care system in England is producing a multi-year Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), showing how local services will evolve and become sustainable over the next five years – ultimately delivering the Five Year Forward View vision of better health, better patient care and improved NHS efficiency. Freedom of Information (FoI) requests would be responded to in line with the FoI Act. It is the intention is to publish STPs once they are final and agreed. Organisations within footprints such as clinical commissioning groups will adhere to their own local governance and engagement arrangements. The list of Footprint leads is attached and also contained on the NHS England website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2016/03/leaders-confirmed/



STP Footprint leads
(Word Document, 29.12 KB)

NHS: Logos

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39429, if he will publish a copy of all communications his Department has had with the Vote Leave Campaign on its use of the NHS logo.

George Freeman: The communications between the Department and Vote Leave are considered prejudicial to the interests of the Department and the National Health Service and as such, it is not appropriate to publish the correspondence.

Complementary Medicine

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits to mental health patients of treatments offered by Care Farms.

Alistair Burt: There has not been any assessment specifically of the benefits of care farms for people with mental health illness.However, there is much evidence on the benefit of taking part in nature-based activities and animal-assisted therapy which is known to significantly reduce stress, anxiety, depression and generally improve well-being in people with a range of mental health problems and other conditions such as dementia.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the number of drop-in sexual health clinics in (a) Liverpool, Wavetree constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England operational in each year since 2010.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not collect this information. Since April 2013, local authorities have been responsible for commissioning most sexual health interventions and services as part of their wider public health responsibilities, including open access sexually transmitted infection services and contraception services for everyone present in their area.

Health Professions: Training

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students on (a) nursing, (b) midwifery and (c) Allied Health Professional courses benefitted from the NHS Bursary maternity award in the last five years for which figures are available.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students on (a) nursing, (b) midwifery and (c) Allied Health Professional courses successfully returned to their studies after benefitting from the NHS Bursary maternity award in the last five years for which figures are available.

Ben Gummer: The following table shows the number of students on nursing, midwifery and Allied Health Professional courses who were in receipt of the NHS Bursary maternity award in each of the last three academic years and those who have subsequently returned to their studies following a period of maternity leave. Information prior to 2013/14 is not available. Academic Year1Professional GroupStudents in receipt of the NHS Bursary maternity awardStudents returning from a period of maternity leave2013/14Allied Health Professional5549 Midwifery9992 Nursing6335582013/14 Total 7876992014/15Allied Health Professional5040 Midwifery8056 Nursing5814442014/15 Total2 7115402015/16Allied Health Professional566 Midwifery724 Nursing473592015/16 Total2 60169Grand Total 2,5281,702 Source: NHS Business Services AuthorityNotes1 Standard academic year (i.e. September to the following August)2 The count for these academic years is as at 14 June 2016. There are likely to be further students who commence, or return from a period of maternity leave after this date

Paracetamol and Viagra

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS in England has spent on prescribing (a) paracetamol and (b) Viagra in the last five years.

Alistair Burt: The information requested is provided below. Table 1: Net ingredient cost (NIC) of paracetamol prescriptions written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community, in England 1 YearNIC (£000’s)201161,270.1201272,039.0201381,565.2201485,081.2201587,619.0Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) provided by the Health and Social Care Information CentreNote:1 As defined by British National Formulary (BNF) 4.7.1 non-opioid analgesics  Table 2: Net ingredient cost (NIC) of Viagra and sildenafil prescriptions written in the UK and dispensed in the community, in England 1, 2  NIC (£000’s)YearViagraSildenafil, including Viagra 3201140,399.740,872.8201239,814.840,309.0201317,436.731,835.120141,096.24,476.02015967.15,708.0Source: PCA provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre Note:1 As defined by BNF 7.4.5 drugs for erectile dysfunction.2 In June 2013, Viagra lost its UK patent. Following this, the price of Viagra and generically available preparations of sildenafil dropped considerably.3 For 2011 and 2012, prior to the availability of generic sildenafil, the data shows some prescription items reported as ‘sildenafil’. These refer to oral liquid special preparations. These are likely to have been requested for patients who had a clinical need for Viagra but have conditions that mean they were unable to swallow tablets. Oral liquid special preparations continued to be available after 2012.

Lung Cancer: Medical Treatments

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to make (a) Nivolumab and (b) other immuno-oncology treatments for lung cancer available on the NHS.

George Freeman: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently carrying out technology appraisals of nivolumab for two lung cancer indications:(i) previously treated locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. The expected publication date for this final guidance is September 2016.(ii) Previously treated locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer after prior chemotherapy in adults. The publication date for this final guidance is to be confirmed. The NICE is also appraising pembrolizumab for treating advanced or recurrent PD-L1 positive non-small cell lung cancer after progression with platinum-based chemotherapy [ID840]. The expected publication date for the final guidance on this appraisal is January 2017. Commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in the NICE technology appraisal guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued. In the absence of guidance from the NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.

Nivolumab

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken for NICE appraisal processes for the provision of Nivolumab on the treatment of NHS patients with non-small cell lung cancer; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: No such assessment has been made.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently carrying out technology appraisals of nivolumab for two lung cancer indications:(i) Previously treated locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. The expected publication date for this final guidance is September 2016.(ii) Previously treated locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer after prior chemotherapy in adults. The publication date for this final guidance is to be confirmed.Commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued. In the absence of guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence.From July 2016, the new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund will ensure that the most promising and innovative medicines get to patients as quickly as possible. In particular, NICE will issue draft guidance on new cancer drugs or significant new licence indications before they have received marketing approval in the United Kingdom. Any drug that receives a positive draft recommendation would then be funded from the point of licence.

Pharmacy

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38720, if his Department will make an assessment of the likely effect on the free services currently being offered by community pharmacies of planned changes to funding.

Alistair Burt: The proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond are being considered in respect of the public sector equality duty, the family test and relevant duties of the Secretary of State under the National Health Service Act 2006. This includes the potential impact on quality or on the services offered by community pharmacies.

NHS: Logos

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39429, on NHS logos, what the cost to his Department has been of legal advice on the use of the NHS logo by the Vote Leave Campaign; and what plans he has to apply for injunctive proceedings related to the use of that logo.

George Freeman: To date, the Department has incurred costs of approximately £5,000 (exclusive of recoverable VAT) for advice from specialist intellectual property lawyers, regarding misuse of the NHS logo by Vote Leave. The Department’s lawyers have also done some work on the matter. Their costs are covered in a block fee, which is paid by the Department to the Government Legal Department on an annual basis. Given the Vote Leave campaign has now finished, the Department has no current plans to apply for injunctive proceedings.

Nurses: Greater London

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of ending the NHS bursary system on the Capital Nurse project in London.

Ben Gummer: We are advised by NHS England that it is working closely with Health Education England to deliver the Capital Nurse programme. Impact on programmes such as the Capital Nurse programme, will be considered by NHS England once the outcome of the bursary consultation, which closes on 30 June 2016, has been published.

Female Genital Mutilation

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that survivors of female genital mutilation are better protected from cervical cancer.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that medical personnel are trained to carry out appropriate smear tests for female genital mutilation survivors.

Jane Ellison: The National Health Service will support women who have had female genital mutilation (FGM) and will provide them with appropriate care to ensure that cervical screening can be done as comfortably as possible, as for all women invited for cervical screening. FGM survivors may feel anxious about the procedure, and NHS staff are encouraged to have sensitive conversations with women about their worries. It is important that all women invited for screening attend appointments. Taking a cervical sample may not always be possible for women with FGM, and in such cases women can be referred to specialist gynaecological services who are trained in treating complications that can be caused by FGM.

Health Professions: Training

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which people and organisations his Department consulted (a) before and (b) after the announcement of 25 November 2015 to end NHS bursaries for nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students.

Ben Gummer: As with all policy development to inform decision making the Government received and considered a range of representations from a number of stakeholders before and after the announcement in the Spending Review, 25 November 2015. These representations involved discussions with officials in the Department and from its arm’s length bodies, The Council of Deans of Health and Universities UK, Trade Unions, leading organisations including Royal Colleges, professional bodies and representatives from Universities.

Breast Cancer: Nurses

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many secondary breast cancer nurses there are in England.

Ben Gummer: Information on the number of secondary breast cancer nurses in England is not collected by the Department. It is for local National Health Service organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local population to invest in training for specialist skills and to deploy specialist nurses.

Department of Health: Redundancies

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the potential number of redundancies which will result from the decision to abolish the nursing, midwifery and allied health professions policy unit.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the effect on the role of chief nursing officer will be of the decision to abolish the nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals policy unit.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons his Department discontinued the nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals policy unit; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer: As part of the DH 2020 plan, the Department is making significant changes to the way it works. The Department’s approach is to flexibly access professional advice from a wide range of sources, including arm’s length bodies, regulators and professional bodies, rather than from a fixed standing team of internal advisers. These changes do not affect the role of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), who as CNO of the Department already advises, and will continue to advise all Ministers and the Department on the range of nursing issues. All staff in the Department, including staff in the current nursing, midwifery and allied health professions policy unit are eligible to apply for new roles in the organisation or to apply for a voluntary early severance scheme.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans additional changes in funding for child and adult mental health services.

Alistair Burt: There are no changes in Government funding for children and adult mental health services planned.  Spending on mental health services is at record levels with an estimated spend of £11.7 billion in 2014/15. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are also committed to increase their spending on mental health each year up to 2020 at least in line with the increase in their overall funding allocation. NHS England will be holding CCGs to account to ensure that this happens. We announced an additional £1 billion of investment for mental health over the next five years to deliver improvements in perinatal mental health, crisis care and liaison psychiatry. The Government also remains committed to investing £1.4 billion over the course of this Parliament to improve children and young people’s mental health. This includes the £1.25 billion announced in the March 2015 budget, which includes £75 million for perinatal mental health service, and the additional £150 million allocated in the 2014 Autumn Statement to improve community-based eating disorder services. £119 million of this overall investment has been allocated to CCGs in 2016-17 to transform local services through their Local Transformation Plans. It is for CCGs to decide how this funding should be used in collaboration with their local partners.

Cervical Cancer: Older People

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the incidence of cervical cancer for women over 50 years old was in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Ellison: The incidence of cervical cancer for women over 50 years old in each of the last 10 years can be found in the following table. Number and age-standardised incidence rate of cervical cancers (C53) in women aged 50 and over, in England, from 2001 to 2013YearTotal Number of TumoursAge Standardised Incidence Rate (per 100,000)20011,16013.02220021,08211.93520031,12412.279200499110.763200598110.70420061,00410.820200796910.40420089279.823200997110.19820109189.51820119649.89420129849.97420131,02410.206 Source: https://cancerdata.nhs.uk/incidence/age_standardised_rates

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of women aged 50 or older received cervical screening in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Ellison: The attached table shows cervical screening coverage data (the proportion of the eligible population who are screened) for a range of age groups from 50 years and older. Results are presented at screening intervals of five years. It should be noted that although the data provided reports on an older definition of coverage from the KC53 return, data reported to the new coverage definition (age appropriate coverage) is only available from 2011.



PQ40505 NHS Cervical Screening Programme
(Excel SpreadSheet, 20.49 KB)

Cancer: Nurses

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will ensure that enough nurses in future train to be clinical nurse specialists for (a) cancer, (b) breast cancer and (c) secondary breast cancer.

Ben Gummer: The Government has supported the development of a range of specialist roles within nursing, such as cancer clinical specialist nurses. These roles are specialist post-registration qualifications which are attained through additional Continuing Professional Development training. At a local level, it is ultimately the responsibility of National Health Service trusts, working with their clinical commissioning groups, to ensure they have sufficient staff on their wards with the right skills to treat patients in their care and are responsible for investing in training for cancer specialist nursing skills and for employing cancer specialist nurses. Following the publication of the Five Year Forward View, an independent Cancer Taskforce was set up to develop a new five-year strategy for cancer. Health Education England has representation on the National Cancer Transformation Board responsible for the implementation of the Taskforce’s report, and will be working in partnership with NHS England and a range of professional bodies to develop a shared vision and strategy for the cancer workforce.

Chronic Illnesses

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of prescription charges on the ability of people with long-term medical conditions to manage their condition effectively.

Alistair Burt: No such assessment has been made. However, a number of prescription charge exemptions are in place, for which someone with a long-term condition may qualify. These include exemptions based on low income, such as certain out of work benefits and the NHS Low Income Scheme, and age. Where someone does not qualify for exemption, Prescription Prepayment Certificates are available. The three-month and 12-month certificates allow someone to claim as many prescriptions as they need for £29.10 and £104, respectively.

Kidneys: Transplant Surgery

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many kidney transplants took place by region for which the source of the donated kidney was (a) cadaver, (b) a relative and (c) altruism in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The information is provided in the attached table.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 61.5 KB)

Kidneys: Donors

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the need to provide additional kidney organ donation surgery as a result of the change to an opt-out system in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Government funding to NHS Blood and Transplant enables the provision of the UK National Organ Retrieval Service and ensures that there are fully staffed retrieval teams constantly available to retrieve donated organs from anywhere across the United Kingdom.Donated kidneys, from wherever they are donated, are offered to transplant centres across the UK. The funding of transplant services lies with UK commissioners.Over the last eight years organ donation rates have increased by 68% and transplant rates by some 47% giving many more people the opportunity of a transplant. We are monitoring how legislative change in Wales is affecting donation rates but our efforts remain focussed on encouraging donor registration and discussions within families about donation to increase consent rates.

Dialysis Machines: Cornwall

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which locations have provided renal dialysis in Cornwall; how many dialysis patients attended each such location; what transport charges were made to patients attending each location in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether any patients were sent out of Cornwall for kidney dialysis treatment in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients from Cornwall who were able to access a kidney transplant took the option of conservative care in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: NHS England advises that the main dialysis unit in Cornwall is at Treliske and satellite units are at Penzance and Bodmin. The information requested on how many dialysis patients attended each such location is not collected centrally. The Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group confirms that it does not charge its patients for transport to renal dialysis and it has no plans to start charging for this. Information on whether any patients were sent out of Cornwall for kidney dialysis treatment in each of the last five years and how many patients from Cornwall who were able to access a kidney transplant took the option of conservative care in each of the last five years is not held centrally.

North Middlesex Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take in response to the decision by the Care Quality Commission to issue a warning notice to North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust regarding the standard of care in the emergency department at that hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy of the findings of the Care Quality Commission's recent inspection report for North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust on the (a) level and (b) grade of staff in the accident and emergency department.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of doctor staffing levels in the emergency department at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.

Ben Gummer: Patient safety remains a key priority for the Government and whilst progress has been made there is clearly much more to be done. The Department is aware of the situation at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and the relevant regulatory bodies, led by NHS Improvement, are taking appropriate action.The Warning Notice, issued to North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 6 June 2016 requires the trust to significantly improve the treatment of patients attending the emergency department (ED).NHS Improvement has given assurance that North Middlesex University Hospital carried out immediate actions to support the staffing concerns raised by the regulators.A new Clinical Director and an experienced Medical Director have been appointed to provide the ED with dedicated substantive leadership. The Clinical Director will provide leadership to the department and oversee the recruitment to currently vacant posts. In addition, there is also focus on reducing the medical work load in the ED through added support from other clinical services and professionals. This includes the appointment of new matrons and a new dedicated service manager with extensive ED experience.Further, local general practitioners are increasing the level of support they provide to the department both to prevent admissions and to improve discharges. All of these measures will be in place by the end of June 2016.On staffing, the local National Health Service is working with the Trust to ensure it can provide emergency care to the required standards. NHS Improvement and NHS England have put in place enhanced oversight mechanisms to assure themselves that services remain safe at all times.An external specialist review of the consultant and middle grade rotas for June, July, August and September has been commissioned to provide independent assurance of the appropriate competencies within each rota.NHS Improvement will continue to work with system colleagues, Health Education England and the General Medical Council to assure themselves that the improvements being put in place meet the requirements that they need to see from both the Trust and the system both in the short term and the long term.

North Middlesex Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS England on that body's efforts to recruit additional accident and emergency specialists from other hospitals in London to work in the emergency department at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from (a) Health Education England, (b) the General Medical Council and (c) the Care Quality Commission on the standard of treatment provided to patients at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust's emergency department; and on what dates he received those representations.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what meetings he plans to hold with (a) Health Education England, (b) the General Medical Council, (c) the Care Quality Commission and (d) the leadership of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust to discuss the standard of treatment in that hospital's emergency department.

Ben Gummer: NHS Improvement (NHSI) is working alongside NHS England and the local health and care system to both improve patient care in the emergency department at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and to assure Health Education England (HEE) and the General Medical Council that patients are safe and that trainee doctors receive adequate support.Ministers in the Department have held regular discussions and received updates from NHSI, NHS England and HEE and will continue to do so.

Members: Correspondence

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to respond to the letter of (a) 3 June 2016 from the right hon. Member for Enfield North and (b) 10 June 2016 from the hon. Member for Edmonton on the emergency department at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.

Ben Gummer: I responded to the Rt. hon. and hon. Members’ letters of 3 June and 10 June 2016 on 20 June 2016.

Fertility: Medical Treatments

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38191 on fertility: medical treatments, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the issues highlighted in the report in that Answer; and if he will write to clinical commissioning groups in England to highlight the findings of that report and the importance of delivering IVF services consistent with the NICE guidelines.

Jane Ellison: It is for clinical commission groups (CCGs) to decide locally the extent to which fertility treatment is offered. CCGs’ decisions should be underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services may vary in response to local needs. NHS England has general intervention powers in relation to CCGs, should it be satisfied that a CCG is failing or has failed to discharge any of its functions, or there is a significant risk that it will fail to do so. It is also NHS England’s role to provide support and guidance to CCGs.

NHS: Drugs

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 40017, on NHS: drugs, what the value is of the five contracts listed in that Answer.

George Freeman: We cannot provide the values of the contracts because it is possible that such information, if taken with other information already in the public domain, may make it possible to deduce the purchase prices of the products concerned. Suppliers will regard product pricing as commercially sensitive. The publication of commercially sensitive drugs pricing information is likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the contractors concerned as well as those of the Department itself.

Alcoholic Drinks: Consumption

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of parliamentary scrutiny of the Chief Medical Officer's guidelines on levels of alcohol intake which recommend significant changes to those levels.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the reasons are for his policy on women requiring different advice to men on levels of calorie intake yet being given the same advice on their levels of alcohol intake.

Jane Ellison: Before the publication of the new Chief Medical Officer’s alcohol guidelines, the guidelines had not been revised for over 20 years; the up to date evidence used to update the low risk guidelines does not support a gender difference.

Dental Services

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to place incentives into NHS dentistry contracts to encourage NHS dentists to practice in areas with significantly above average numbers of oral and dental health issues.

Alistair Burt: NHS England has a duty to commission services to improve the health of the population and reduce inequalities, and also a statutory duty to commission primary dental services in order to meet local need. While some local access difficulties remain overall access continues to increase with the latest access data showing 30 million patients were seen by a dentist for National Health Service care in the 24 month period ending 31 March 2016. This is 1.8 million more patients than May 2010. The Government is determined to increase the focus on improving oral health particularly in high needs groups. The Department is working with NHS England to test a new NHS dental contract focusing on improving oral health. 82 prototypes are testing the best balance of incentives to prevent disease and treat disease where present. In addition, NHS England will test new ways to improve children’s oral health in 10 high need areas.

NHS: Contracts

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the largest financial contracts between the NHS and private companies were in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: The Department does not hold this information, as it is not collated centrally. It is for individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to take decisions on which providers, including those from the private sector, are awarded contracts for the provision of NHS services for their respective regions. For information on individual contracts held by individual National Health Service bodies, such as NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts, the Hon. Member may wish to contact any relevant NHS authority directly. Independent providers, both for-profit and not-for-profit have long, and through successive governments, provided care to NHS patients. Our position on who should provide services is taken to ensure patients receive the best possible services and outcomes. These decisions are taken by the local clinicians, who are best placed to act for the benefit of their patients.

NHS: Drugs

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 40024, on NHS: drugs, what the most recent price paid per pack by the NHS was for each of the drugs listed in that Answer.

George Freeman: It is not possible to provide this information as the disclosure of such information would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the manufacturers concerned as well as the interests of the Department itself, as disclosure may affect the Department’s or the National Health Service’s ability to successfully conclude pricing negotiations for these products with their respective suppliers in the future.

North Middlesex Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the standard of treatment in North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust's emergency department.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what contingency plans his Department has for the event of the closure of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust's emergency department.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the emergency department at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust is able to guarantee patient safety; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer: NHS England is the responsible organisation for emergency planning and resilience in London. As such, it has well-established contingency plans in place which take effect in the event of emergency departments (EDs) having to temporarily reduce their scope of operations in order to ensure the best standards of patient care, our central concern. As the Rt. hon. Member is aware, following an unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, the CQC issued a Warning Notice. The Warning Notice, published on 6 June 2016, requires the trust to significantly improve the treatment of patients attending its emergency department. The CQC is responsible for assessing whether the Trust is providing the right standard of care and ensuring that improvement plans meet the level of improvement required. NHS Improvement is working alongside NHS England and the local health and care system to ensure that the Trust has the resources it needs to ensure that patients receive safe, high quality care. We are informed by NHS Improvement that, in order to address the poor performance at the Trust’s ED, it has devised a plan titled Safer, Faster, Better. This is a whole system programme with the primary objective of improving performance, patient experience and outcomes for patients.

Health Professions: Training

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 38977, on health professions: training, whether the figures provided take into account the number of applications each potential student can make.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 38977, which health and higher education delivery organisations he is consulting to determine the baseline against which the additional 10,000 increase in training places is measured; and when he will publish further details of the baseline.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2016 to Question 40208, whether the estimated additional 10,000 student places are sufficient to meet current and future year demands.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2016 to Question 40208, what assurances he has received that the additional 10,000 students will be accommodated with clinical placements by healthcare providers without compromising the quality of the experience on those placements.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2016 to Question 40208, what bodies he consulted on the number of the additional student places for nurses; and what discussions he had with healthcare providers who arrange clinical placements for student nurses.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2016 to Question 40208, if he will publish the information used to estimate the level of unmet demand in order to establish the figure of an additional 10,000 student nurse places.

Ben Gummer: The healthcare education funding reforms is a transformative policy with cross-cutting implications for both health and education sectors. Through agreed governance arrangements, the Department of Health and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with health and education partners are working together to consider how these additional places are appropriately baselined (and monitored) against those commissioned for National Health Service workforce planning purposes. This work has to-date involved the assessment of a wide range of data sources which requires further analysis. At present around two thirds of people who apply to nursing degrees are not accepted for training. In 2015, there were 57,000 unique applications competing for the 20,000 places on nursing degree courses. Universities have been faced with a position where nursing, midwifery and allied health professional courses are very popular with potential students, but they have not been able to meet demand. Nursing is usually about the fifth most popular subject on the University and College Admission Service (UCAS) system. However, with the costs largely being borne by the NHS, universities have generally been unable to increase nursing, midwifery and allied health professional degree places because of financial constraints. The information used to estimate the level of unmet demand was provided by UCAS and published in the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Report ‘Frontline First’ in April 2015: http://royalnursing.3cdn.net/9808b89b8bfd137533_krm6b9wz7.pdf Universities are autonomous private institutions. It will be for universities to work as part of their local health economy with placement providers to secure extra placements for additional students. The generation of extra places is a mutually beneficial arrangement between the health sector, universities and their students. Education and training standards will continue to be set United Kingdom-wide by the statutory Nursing and Midwifery Council and Health Care Professionals Council. The Government is currently consulting on the future structure of clinical placement funding. That consultation closes on 30 June. As now, ensuring that all students have access to high quality placements and receive an outstanding placement experience will be a key priority.